Bloody Angels
by YueTian
Summary: Two years have passed since Ray escaped to Japan with Zack. Everything was well till the FBI caught onto them. Hidden away, they awaited for the storm to pass over when Ray woke up and found herself in the world of Shinga. Chased by Uesugi's soldiers and taken in by the Takeda army, she must figure out where she is and how to go back. (Sengoku Night Blood is according to the anime)
1. Chapter 1:Angel With A Shotgun

**Disclaimer**

**I own none of the characters listed down below.**

**Thank you and please enoy the story!**

* * *

Angel With A Shotgun

A little girl with blond hair and blue eyes woke up and found herself looking up at a dark sky. Was she in heaven? Was she finally reborn? The sins…

Was heaven this dark? Her hand twitched. She can move. Slowly, she sat up and looked around. She searched and searched. She saw that she was amongst what looked to be a large camp, but the place was dyed red and bodies lay all over the place. One of them laying under her looking up blankly at the skies with her. His eyes unfocused. She couldn't understand the situation and looking at the clothes, she could see that he seemed to be either an actor or a strange old man with a liking for ragged clothing. The others as well. It was nothing like her clothing that consists of a shirt with black and white horizontal stripes, a loose white cardigan, black shorts, and clunky black boots with silver buckles. Curious, she touched her neck and could feel her black cloth choker tied to it. Her small, black messenger bag was still there too. Everything was there and she seemed to be in one piece.

A foreign cry caused her to turn around as she saw it. An old samurai warrior rushing up to her only for a dark figure to rush up in the background and cut him down along with his other companion. The girl looked up and saw that it was a strange, purple creature with thin purple limbs long white hair and glowing red eyes. Was it even alive? But, it moved. Then, does it have a soul? What was it? Curious, she rushed behind what looked to be a shack and peeked out to watch it as it slayed the oncoming soldiers. As it shrieked, she concluded that the things couldn't have been human before or now. She watched for a bit before turning back and crouched down to the ground. She wasn't quite nervous or in shock, but worried. Worried for someone else's sake. She could tell that she was not in heaven and no matter how much she thought back, the only images that came to her mind was the time when he said that he was unable to fulfill his promise yet because they were being chased and that he'd get caught if they weren't careful. Then, he led her to the back of an airport and the two snuck onto a plane. The ride wasn't as bad and there was food that laid about aside from the dogs that refused to take any liking to her. When it landed, they snuck past the security and came to a strange city. The city was bright and dazzling in her eyes. A little too dazzling for the both of them. So, he led her to the countryside after many days of travel. When all was said and done, they came across and grumpy elder man who took them in. It was then that they came to understand that they were in Japan. A country far from Europe or America. The elderly was a blind man and couldn't recognize them in the least. He never questioned them either, but their name and age. Despite her friend's distrust, they stayed there for a little over two years. Now, she was fifteen. No longer the same little girl that followed after an adult figure. She didn't follow behind anyone, but him. She was waiting, after all. Those days were spent with her getting a part-time job at a convenience store and showing her companion some rather easy words and numbers to pass the time. Otherwise, he'd go for more excursions than necessary. But, what brought her here was unusual. One day, after another of his travels, they found themselves chased by some FBI agents. She'd never thought the day would come when the states would go through such lengths to hunt him down. They ran into the house where the elderly man sent them down to a level that she believed was between the first floor and the basement. The place was spacious and wide as they moved about. He complained a lot, but she was unable to do a thing for themselves, but keep quiet just as footsteps above them could be heard. They waited and waited. The elder man's voice and response to their question. That was when she knew the kind elderly man knew who they were and still kept hiding the truth from the authorities. She waited and waited with him under the floor boards. When they questioned the floorboards, she did everything she possibly could to keep her friend from acting out. Finally, just as the old man bid the officials farewell and locked the door, He helped move their belongings into the small room. Uncertain how to express their gratitude, she fumbled some words of appreciation to which the old man only replied firmly that they should keep a low profile as the people could be professionals rather than newbies. That time was the only time she'd ever heard her companion warn someone other than herself with words of concern and it was for the kind elderly man. The man only nodded his head in response and acknowledgement. There was no anger ridden over his face. Only silence indiscriminate of any emotions. Seeing this, she knew that he was not someone who would fall easily in this house. She didn't know what happened after, but, that day they had gone to sleep, something must've happened while their guard was down. The next thing she knew was that she was here and he was gone.

Thinking this, she hugged her legs like a child again. It's been a long time since she's been separated for him like this. She just hoped that he wasn't too far. But, even if he was hurt, she could stitch his injuries back together. Well, if he lets her.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped up startled to find herself face to face with a pair of dazzling blue eyes. She jumped back in surprise and saw that the individual was a man in a white solider-like uniform with blood stains on it, short light blue hair, and… wolf-like ears? She stared at him in shock as he frowned, "Those clothes…"

Snapped out of her stupor, she pushed him back and scrambled to her feet and ran. She must find him!

"Ah! Hey!"

Their voices weren't far off as she heard them gave chase after her, but she recognized the words and language. They were speaking in Japanese. During her time in Japan, her coworkers and manager were kind people that taught her how to read Japanese and, with so many people to talk to, it made it all the more easier for her to understand, but she didn't have the time for this and, so, she ran. She needs to find him! Making her way through the burning streets, she looked back once to see now that there were two people running after her. Both with strange wolf-like ears. They were also gaining up to her. Aside from that, she also saw the long swords they carried. They hadn't drawn them yet, but she wasn't gonna give it to chance either. She quickly rummaged threw her bag and pulled out a small mechanism consisting of an old flashlight and an old frail rag. This won't work. She frowned. She didn't like this. She really don't like it. She rummaged in her bag a bit more and felt her handkerchiefs. Could God really be this cruel to her? But, has he ever accepted her before? Without much choice, she turned the corner and ran into another alley. She rushed through the narrow alley till she saw a small crack in the wall. Quickly, she dove into it and waited whilst holding her breath. She waited quietly watching from the crack in the wall. The footsteps drew closer and closer till she finally heard the foreign speech, "Damn it! She just vanished!"

Screams filled the air as the voice from the man she saw shouted, "There's more?"

"Fine! We'll just let Kagemochi know." The other growled as they made their way before her hiding place. She could see their faces, but the dark color uniform next to the white. They turned around and rushed off back where they came through. She waited for a while. Minutes passed and when it felt like an hour, she crawled out of the crack and continued running. She didn't stop running down the alley as the sight of the dark forest came to view. As she ran, she saw something move from the corner of her eyes and jumped back just as something reached out to her. She ducked under the arm and ran faster. She could feel as if her feet was about to start flying off the ground at this speed. She ignored the voice that called out to her and ran. Something about this place is giving her a bad premonition and she wasn't going to stay to see what it was. Moreover, she was worried where he might be. It was then that a mist of white substances came flying out at her. Despite running, something finally caught her shoulder! Her eyes widen in surprise and her grip on the batteries slipped out. It had been tied to the wire and an old rag. It was something she had prepared when she was hiding in the crack for the time to pass. As it fell to the ground, she held her breath as her eyes widen. Quickly, she tore the hand away from her and pushed the man back before running down the path. Behind her a loud flare could be heard and shouts. It wasn't her intention, but she didn't look back and continued running. Diving into the woods, she ran with a great weight on her legs. Finally, when she came to a slow stop, everything was quiet. As she stood there, her legs suddenly gave away. Her eyes widen in surprise. Could that have been just flour? It was then that she collapsed onto the dirt ground and was slowly drifting in and out of consciousness. She needed to find him, though. Zack. where is he?

* * *

When she woke up, she was greeted with the roof of a house similar to that a straw shack. Confused, she turned her head expecting to see him, but only saw a small pot set over a small pile of wood. She looked about for a bit in confusion before sitting up with a frown. She was in a shack. Like those she had seen in Japanese books. It was dusty and the corners were covered white with cobwebs. However, there was footsteps on the tatami tiles with dust. Somebody came here. The footprints led to her bedside where the thin dirty cover laid out over her.

"Zack?" she called out but with no response.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder as she quickly responded by slapping it away with wide eyes. She looked up and saw that it was a man with those ears again. Like the previous, he was also in an uniform of green and white, but nothing as bright. Was he also another soldier or an authority? He looked to her in surprise and retracted his hand.

"It's all right." He managed, "You're safe."

"Safe?" she repeated in confusion.

The man nodded silently. She didn't know why, but she let out a small sigh of relief before staring at his wolf ears that sat on his dark hair. He seemed to have noticed this and gave her a similar look of confusion. Suddenly, someone entered the room as she spun around and saw that it was another wolf-ear man. He was a man with long blond hair and dusty yellow wolf-ears. Like the other, he also wore a uniform of red and white. They were all like those soldiers she had once seen on a book of the history of Japan. This man approached her with a smile, "I see you're awake now."

She crept back cautious before she noticed the bag sitting next to her aside from her missing Cardigan. She reached in for it but remembered the other man's words.

"I'm… safe?"

Looking back to him, the man nodded with an awkward smile. Though she still felt a little unsettled, the weight was lifted off her chest only for a little. She still needed to be cautious. She didn't know these people, after all. The other soldier gave her an unusual smile as he asked, "What's your name?"

However, she didn't respond. Rather, the unusual smile of his face gave her the shivers. Something wasn't right. As if seeing this, the man sighed and forced a smile, "Have you tried talking with her?"

She looked to the dark hair soldier who nodded, "Just now, but I haven't gotten to ask her questions yet."

The soldier in red looked to him with a slight frown, "Then, what should we do with her? More importantly her clothes. You're not from around here?"

She looked to him silently before slowly shaking her head. The blond hair soldier's frown deepened with his green eyes narrowing, "Then… are you… from Uesugi's territory?"

"Ue… sugi?" She echoed in caution, "Where's that?"

The same man raised a brow and remained quiet before he asked, "Do you know where this is?"

"Ja…pan?" she answered in confusion, "This… is Japan, right?"

He looked to be stunned speechless as the two soldiers glanced at each other in confusion.

"So, what's the situation in here?"

Suddenly, another man in red appeared before the entrance. He was another man with wolf ears too, but it was darker than the spiky short red hair. He had a similar red armor and a red clothes. Like the other two his left ear had a cut on it, but he also wore a green piercing on the other. His green eyes rested on her as he raised a brow and glanced over to the two.

"She just woke up. However, it looks like she's not from Uesugi's territory, but from a place called 'Japan', Shingen-sama." The blond hair man reported.

"'Japan'?" the man raised a brow as well and looked to her direction.

He nodded and walked over to her before sitting down next to her and the green soldier, "You said that you came from Japan?"

She nodded slowly, "Yes… Where am I?"

"You're on my land." He replied with a smile before he asked her firmly, "Then, can you tell me what happened that brought you here?"

She looked to him in confusion and with great caution. He seemed to have sensed this and laughed, "It's safe here, I promise. We're not going to hurt you. We just need to know what brought you into this territory."

She was quiet at first, but slowly began, "I don't know…"

She hesitated a bit more before continuing, "When I woke up, I was in a town and people were being killed."

Hearing this, their attention drew to her as the red hair man wore a stiff frown and nodded, "Was that why the back of your shirt is covered in blood? Someone helped you?"

She shook her head, "I was lying on top of a corpse."

"A corpse?" the green soldier said in shock.

She nodded, "The person was already dead. Then, I saw a strange purple creature attack soldiers in a white cloak."

"Purple creature and soldiers in white?" the blond hair man frowned.

She nodded, "When I was hiding, one of them found me. So, I ran into the forest. I… I think they used some kind of gas when they tried to catch me."

"And that gas knocked you out?" the red hair man questioned.

She nodded in response.

"She didn't seem to have any injuries, Shingen-sama." The green hair man responded with a frown, "Perhaps they were trying to catch her with sleeping gas?"

"But, she got away?" Shingen raised a brow and turned to her, "How did you got away?"

"I accidentally created an explosion with the gas." She admitted honestly, "I don't know what happened to them afterwards, but I think they're fine…"

The blond hair man's eyes widen, "You created…"

"An explosion?" the green soldier finished with a shocked expression.

Shingen smiled, "So, that's what happened. By the way, what's your name? I'm Takeda Shingen."

With uncertainty, the girl hesitated before she finally answered, "Rachel Gardner."

"Lay-shell Ga-de-na?" Shingen raised a brow.

She clarified, "Just call me Ray, if you want."

"I see." Shingen nodded, "Well, this must mean that you have no place to stay, then?"

She frowned, "Where is this place?"

"Takeda Territory." Shingen answered before he lightly joked, "This world is called Shinga."

"Shinga…" She frowned, "I've never heard of this place before…"

"Huh." Shingen nodded, "That's why you can stay at our home, instead."

She shook her head and said, "There's someone I'm looking for. I don't want to leave without him."

"Someone you're looking for…" Shingen frowned.

"Shingen-sama." The blond hair man reported with a frown, "When Saizo and the others found her, she was alone."

"I think he's still in that town." She said with a frown.

Hearing this, the men looked to each other with a frown on each of their faces as Shingen frowned, "That town must be near the border then…"

He nodded in confirmation to his own words, "After an attack like that, it'll be a while before we can send anybody there."

Hearing this, her hands tightened on the covers as she frowned, "But…"

Shingen nodded, "The place is too dangerous after an attack. The Uesugi will be keeping a close eye on the place for a while."

"Uesugi…" She repeated in question.

"They're enemies of Takeda." Shingen clarified.

"Enemies. Territories…" She frowned, "Is this place at war?"

There was a moment of silence before Shingen nodded, "That's right. Takeda and Uesugi are fighting against each other at the moment."

She didn't know what happened after, but she was put back under the covers to rest. The three then took their leave. After doing so, she could hear their voices.

"Shingen-sama. Those creatures that attacked the town." Said the blond hair man.

"Ah." The voice answered in acknowledgement, "The Yakuma have attacked their lands as well."

"It seems that they don't seem to recognize her either. And, her accent and speech…" He continued.

After some silence, Shingen spoke firmly, "Looks like we'll be paying Toyotomi's army a visit soon."

"Shingen-sama, are you thinking…"

There was a hum in response as he answered, "Not yet. For now, the girl will stay with us. She seems a little unstable at the moment. Let her rest first. Also, we need to know who else came with her. They're likely just as confused as she is."

They're words brought a little reassurance in her as she silently prayed for Zack's wellbeing.

* * *

As she slept, the green soldier said with a frown, "Shingen-sama, the child's mental state is a little unusual. She's not as shaken after going through that, but it looks as if the killing might not be the topic affecting her."

"I thought something was off too." Shingen replied, "So, I wasn't the only one thinking that. She can speak of things most her age would have trouble processing through. I can't sense much emotions in her speech too. For now, keep a close eye on her."

"Of course." He replied.

* * *

The next morning, she woke up and saw the green soldier appear.

"Good morning." He said.

"Good morning." She replied.

He stretched out a hand to her and said, "Today, we're going to return home."

He then handed her her Cardigan with a smile, "I tried getting as much of the blood off."

She took it slowly, "Thank you…"

"You're welcome." His smiled widened a little.

Though the blood on her striped shirt still had yet to be washed off, she wore her clean Cardigan over it and took his hand.

After leaving the shack, she saw two other figures in the distance next to Shingen with the blond hair man. Each had a serious look on their face and each had wolf-like ears.

"What are they talking about?" she looked to the green soldier.

"Just some war plans." He replied with a small smile.

Her approach brought their attention to her as Shingen looked back and saw the two. He nodded with a small smile, "So, you're awake."

She only responded with a small nod.

Amongst the two new arrivals, the bigger man raised a brow seeing her while the other looked to her in suspicions, but, rather than meeting their gaze, her eyes drifted to her surroundings. It was a small clearing in the middle of a forest and in the center of it stood the run down shack she slept in that night. Around them soldiers moved about formally. It was a stiff environment. But, there was some real colors into this. She was snapped out of her trance when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped in surprise and turned to them. She was met with confused gazes.

"You've been spacing out a lot lately…" the blond hair man raised a brow and touched forehead, "Not burning. You also slept for a long time…"

She wore a blank look as they said this. Was it really that unusual? The gazes. They feel rather familiar. It was then that she felt something touch her head.

"We'll take a look at it when we get back, then." Shingen concluded before they began preparing for the trip back.

As they walked back, she could feel gazes on her back, but it didn't matter.

"So, do everyone in Japan have strange hair color too? It's not everyday you see a human with blond hair and blue eyes." The teenage boy asked without much thought.

"Masakage." The blond soldier warned with a frown.

"I was only curious." He responded with a grimace.

However, she didn't respond or heard his question. Instead, she continued to wear a blank look as she looked at the trees they passed by. It was clear that something wasn't quite right with the child. She looked about in silence as the teenage boy with wolf ears cursed under his breath. Her blank look was starting to annoy him. As they talked, she continued to look about their surroundings. There was plenty of trees and bits of grass and weeds along the path. However, there was no signs of the person she was looking for. Her heart sank. Finally, after sometime of walking, they came to a town. The people were all dressed in clothes similar to those of the strange town. She grew curious before the green soldier guided her through the town after the others.

They soon came before a large castle and watched as the others entered before they followed in with them. It wasn't long before she was brought into a guest room that was much similar to her previous place in the old man's house. Paper covered windows and tatami floors. She saw the futons sitting in the corner. It was wider than her own room. The green soldier left before a maid came in. The woman was surprised when she saw her, but she went to work and taught Ray how to put on a blue kimono. It was a little strange and she found it a little hard to move in, but, at least, it wasn't as long as she had seen others wear in Japan for New Years At most, it only reached to her knees. It reminded her a little of the kimono she had seen the children wore in the town. When the maid left, she heard a knock on the door and saw the soldier return.

"Everyone is a little busy at the moment, so just let me know if you need something." He said, "I'm Naito Masatoyo."

"Naito?" She repeated in confusion, "That's your family name, right?"

"Yes. You can call me by my first name, though." He nodded, "Yours is Ray, right?"

She shook her head, "Gardner is. But, everyone calls me Ray."

"Huh?" he raised a brow, "So, there's that difference too."

"What's going to happen now?" she asked.

"It's still a little early to find your friend." He answered with a frown, "So, first, we're going to bring you to see someone in the next couple of days. For now, you can stay here."

She nodded silently. For the rest of the day, she stayed in her room looking through her things and exploring the room while Masatoyo was absent. He had told her that he just needed to go on a quick errand and be back soon, so she took this chance and looked through her bag. Most of her belongings were there. Save for those couple of batteries out of the many and the cloth, she still had her sewing kit and handkerchiefs. Either way, if something were to happen, she can defend herself. The room was wide and empty without much things in them. However, even with all this, she was still unsettled. She wanted to find Zack. The sooner the better. Find him and then a way home. As her stomach growled, she was reminded that she hadn't eaten in two days now and wondered in Zack was hungry too. However, there wasn't much to go on and she didn't have a bag of chips or anything. However, seeing that it was already evening, she wondered how she would get any food.

After she settled in, Masatoyo reported the little bit about the child to Shingen. The man nodded, "It seems we'll have to pay Toyotomi army a visit, then."

As the blond hair soldier nodded and left, Shingen looked to the bamboo bottle sitting next to him and frowned, "It's been a while since the Incident with the Yakumas. That child came here shortly after they reappeared."

"She was a little strange too." The teenage boy grumbled, "Ray, right?"

Masatoyo nodded, "It wouldn't be strange if she didn't see me, but she genuinely didn't notice everyone today. Could she have some health problems?"

"Maybe Yuzuki might know what's wrong with her." The boy said, "She's wears similar clothes as her too, so they could be from the same place. This girl really has a serious problem paying attention too. At this rate, we might as well tap her shoulder instead calling on her."

"We'll see." Shingen said with a frown, "For now, we just need to keep a close eye on her progress and the borders."

"You don't think…" Masatoyo frowned, "That she could a similar situation as Yuzuki, could she?"

"We don't know that for sure."

That night, she was brought to a large room with Masatoyo. The people was already eating when she sat on a mat in the corner next to him. She didn't have too much of a problem with chopsticks, but the feeling was still a little foreign to her. As she ate, she paused as thoughts of Zack and the old man came to her mind. It was then that she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Masatoyo gesture her to the others. She looked to them curiously. When she saw the boy grumble and looked away, Shingen who said, "Since it'll be a while before we can help you find your friend, we'll send you over to the Toyotomi army. They have someone who dresses similarly to you. Maybe she can also explain to you what's going on. We'll follow a little after. I still have some work to take care of here."

She nodded, "All right."

For the rest of the meal, there was an awkward silence around her though the others talked of matters she didn't quite understood. She was curious as to why they had yet to ask her about Zack when they said that they would help search for him.

* * *

The next day came around and Masatoyo came to pick her up. She still wasn't familiar with the castle and needed help navigating through the halls. When they arrived outside of the gates, she saw the teenage boy present as well. He looked to her in confusion, "What? You're ready to leave now?"

She nodded as they left on the road. As they walked, they soon arrived at a forest. While walking, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that it was the boy.

"So, what's Japan like?" He questioned nonchalantly without much care to look back.

"Japan…" Ray repeated in confusion, "There's a lot of high technology and lights that goes on throughout the night. It's a very crowded place and everything moves really fast there. It's hard to keep up. There's also a lot of tall buildings that reach high into the skies. Some are higher than that castle."

"Seriously?!" the boy's eyes widen in surprise before he suddenly turned back with a grumble.

Masatoyo had a small smile and asked, "Then, you've lived there your whole life?"

Ray shook her head, "I moved there two years ago. Before that, I came from America, which was across the sea. That place… wasn't safe anymore."

Her words caught their attention as their ears twitched. They wondered the sort of situation that would make a child move from one country across the sea to another and thought of where their friend Yuzuki might sit in all this. Finally, she looked up to him with a frown, "So, what's your name?"

"Wha-?! You…" the boy turned around with a grimace, "I just introduced myself yesterday and you already forgot?! It's Yamagata Masakage!"

Masatoyo strained a small smile and said, "She probably wasn't paying attention, right?"

She looked to him in confusion which somewhat confirmed his thoughts. The boy sighed, "The sooner we see Yuzuki the better. I wonder if her home is like that too."

* * *

They traveled for a while through the woods as she looked up. The straw hat on her head had some weight to it, but not as bad. Everywhere around her was bright and new to her. As she looked about, the sun was already in the sky as the forest receded to a large town. Curious, she watched the people move about before she felt something grab her hand. She looked up and saw that it was Masatoyo.

"There's a lot of people, so try not to get lost." He said.

She nodded. Seeing this, she was then led to another large castle. It seemed a little larger than the previous one where she stayed. She was quiet as Masatoyo and Masakage talked with a person at the large open gate. She couldn't tell what happened just that no matter where she looked, Zack was still missing.

At the gate, a teenage boy with pointy ears, light green clothing, and a red umbrella saw the three with a surprised look on his face.

"One of Takeda's vassals?" he said with a surprise look.

"Um… I'm here too…" Masatoyo added which startled the boy.

"Two?" He said before seeing the child holding his sleeve with an empty gaze.

He watched her curiously as Masatoyo said, "We found this child just in the borders of our territory. Shingen-sama wished to see if Yuzuki might know her."

"Oh…" the boy nodded, "So, she's… I'll be right back!"

He then rushed back in and, minutes later, returned with two people. One of them was another man with a pale blond hair and white uniform and armor. He also had point ears as well. Next to him was a woman with chestnut color hair, pink clothing that was much like those of the child's though not identical, brown shorts, and brown boots. After greeting the two soldiers with a smile, she saw the girl with wide eyes.

"This is…" She began curiously.

"We found her yesterday in our territory." Masatoyo said.

The man watched the girl in silence before he said, "So, do you recognize her?"

The woman looked to him with a troubled look, "No. But, I think I've seen her somewhere."

She got to the child's eye level and said, "Hi. I'm Yuzuki. What's your name?"

Rather than an answer, the girl was quiet as if not noticing her or her presence. Seeing this, Masakage sighed and lightly rapped her head with his knuckles, "Hey, she's asking you a question."

Her eyes suddenly looked up in confusion and saw the girl with a look of confusion, "You are…"

"Ah, I'm Yuzuki." She repeated with a smile, "What's your name?"

She was quiet before she answered, "Rachel… Gardener."

"Rachel… Gardener?" Yuzuki tilted her head in confusion, "That sounds familiar…"

"So, you've never met her before?" Masatoyo asked with a frown.

"I don't think so…" Yuzuki responded with a troubled look.

Seeing this, the man said, "Then, how about we talk about this further inside. There's another reason why you're here, right?"

They nodded. Looking to the child, they saw that she was quiet again. After entering a large room, there was more people around. A man with silver hair. Another who was taller and had black hair. The last one being a man with tan colored hair and green clothing. They all looked to the newcomers. As the two explained the situation, Yuzuki continued to watch the girl as she heard of how she got here. Finally, as if it dawned on her, her eyes widen in surprise as she whispered quietly, "I remember…"

"Huh?"

They all looked to the woman as she walked closer to look at the girl.

"It is her…" she muttered in surprise.

"Yuzuki?" the man with blond hair said with a frown, "You remember?"

Yuzuki nodded, "A few months ago before I found myself here, there was a huge incident that occurred."

"An incident?" the man with the silver hair frowned.

Yuzuki nodded, "It was such a horrible event that it spread like wild fire around the world."

"Around the world?!" Masakage jumped out of his seat in surprise and looked to the girl.

Yuzuki nodded, "I don't know the exact details, but, in another country... a couple was murdered in their house."

"Murder?" the teenage boy said in surprise and looked to the child.

The word made tensed up the atmosphere. It was definitely not something they had expected. She nodded, "It was a family of three. The only survivor was their only daughter. But, it was said that she might've suffered some form of trauma from the incident that day and, for unknown reason, didn't contact authorities for over a week. There was also some bad rumors of the couple after that…"

Hearing this, the blond hair man turned to the teenage boy and said, "Hanbee, take the child out for a stroll in the town."

Masatoyo nodded and turned to Masakage, "Can you go with them too, Masakage?"

Then man looked to him in confusion before he sighed and nodded, "Got it…"

Yuzuki watched as the child walked out after the two teenagers. Once gone, the blond hair man continued, "So, what happened?"

Yuzuki hesitated before seeing their gazes and finally nodded, "It's said that when they found the couple. It was... a horrifying sight. The child's parents were said to have been found stitched together and the room was a mess."

"Stitched?" Masatoyo's eyes widen in shock.

"I don't know the entire details, but it's said that the child had mental problems after that day." Yuzuki said with a troubled look, "A couple months after that, she was found in a building that suddenly exploded. It was said that the killer kidnapped her and killed her counseling doctor was killed by gunshot. The girl was shot as well, but she survived. They said that, after that, she kept asking about the murderer. But, he was locked up by that point and was given the death sentence."

There was a heavy silence in the air before Masatoyo raised a brow, "But, if it was around the world, how come we never heard of this before?"

"Because Yuzuki came from another world." The blond hair man answered with a sigh, "I knew this would happen one day…"

"She came from another world?!" Masatoyo looked to her in surprise as the others did as well.

"We found her that day when she suddenly appeared during the battle again Oda Army." The blond hair man answered, "But this child…"

"A few weeks before I arrived here, the murderer escaped prison the day his sentence came and the girl vanished with him. Nobody found traces of them since that day." Yuzuki explained with a frown, "I heard that there was search parties everywhere, but neither of them were found."

Masatoyo heard this in surprise and spoke up, "Japan. She said that she arrived in Japan two years after she left her hometown across sea."

"Across sea?" Yuzuki's eyes widen in surprise and horror, "But, the place is in America. Japan is almost the other side of the earth. Unless… she hitchhiked her way there? Then, could the murderer also be…"

"You know Japan?" Masatoyo questioned.

Yuzuki nodded, "I lived there before I came here."

The blond hair man frowned, "Then, you should postpone returning to your world. If a murderer that dangerous is around-"

"Actually…" Masatoyo said with a grimace, "When we found her, she said that she had to find a friend and won't leave without him. Could it be…"

The blond hair man turned to Yuzuki, "The murderer?"

Yuzuki frowned, "He's well-known in another country. Issac Foster. Issac is said to be a killer who took countless lives indiscriminately. I only heard about him, but ever saw him. They said that he had a lot of burns over his body so he hides them all under bandages."

"Talk about a bad reputation." The tan hair man muttered with a grimace, "But, why did she call him a friend?"

Yuzuki shook her head, "I don't know. I did manage to meet her once, though."

"You did?" the silver hair man said with a surprised look.

Yuzuki nodded, "A friend of mine was studying psychology and met with Rachel's new counseling doctor. He invited me to see her through a device that lets us communicate over long distances. She told me that she has this… hypoactive… hypoactive delirium? I believe that's it."

"What's that?" the tan hair man asked with a look of confusion.

"I'm not too certain, but they said that she'll have difficulty paying attention to her surroundings and following what others talk about."

Masatoyo looked up in surprise, "When we tried to talk to her numerous, she almost always never responds on time and always has this spaced out look."

Yuzuki nodded, "When I talked to her, she seemed really interested in the bible. A religious book containing words about god. There was also another thing about her having a lack of empathy and having difficulties of expressing emotions. I believe she had this mental condition from birth."

The blond hair man frowned, "Lack of empathy, book about god, and lack of emotions… What if…"

Finally, he looked up to them and said, "Masatoyo, Shingen will be arriving here too, right?"

Masatoyo nodded, "Yes."

"Does he intend to keep the child with him?"

Masatoyo frowned, "At the moment, we aren't certain, but she'll be staying at the castle for now."

The blond hair man nodded, "Then, I'd like to have a word with him after."

* * *

After a full day of walking around, Ray returned to the castle with Masakage and Hanbee. During the entire time, she was really quiet and couldn't stop thinking about Zack. She then felt a tap on her shoulder as she looked up and saw that it was the blond hair man.

"Want to have a stroll in the garden?" he said with a grin.

She wasn't certain about it, but nodded. Leaving the two behind, she followed after him. It wasn't long before they arrived at what looked to be a garden as he said, "You know, Yuzuki came from Japan too. But I heard that you moved from another country?"

She nodded and watched as the man sat on the veranda before she was told to do the same.

"Why's that?" He asked her.

"It wasn't safe anymore." She replied.

"Safe?" he raised a brow, "Did it have to do with your parents' death?"

"Parent's death?" she echoed before shaking her head, "We were being chased."

"We?" he said curiously, "Who were you with?"

"Zack." She answered.

There was a moment of silence before he finally let out a sigh, "So, Yuzuki told us about what happened to your parents. Do you think you can tell me what happened that day? Or anything about your parents?"

She looked to him with a blank look on his face as she nodded.

"Father was a policeman and worked with authorities. Mother was always at home, but she always talked a lot. Whenever father came back home, mother and father would always yell a lot. Father always had these bottles with him too. But, one day, the yelling got bad after I brought home the puppy."

"Puppy?" he questioned.

"It was a cute small puppy that I found. It was so cute and I wanted to have it. But, I couldn't bring it home without asking mother and father. So, I tried to ask mother. But, she wouldn't listen, even after dad left the house again. Instead, she kept talking about her secret weapon she kept hidden in the drawer."

"A hidden weapon?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

She nodded, "One day, the yelling got worse after I brought home the puppy. It was a nice puppy too. After I fixed it, it never bit me again and was a good boy. I went to check on my parents and saw father stabbing mother with a knife."

The blond hair man's eye twitched and frowned, "How did you survive?"

"I ran into my room and brought mother's secret weapon with me." She answered, "Then, I used it… Bang…"

After some thought, he sighed and nodded, "I see. Then, how did you meet… Zack?"

"In that building, we made an oath." She answered, "As long as I help him escape, he would kill me."

"Kill you?" he raised a brow.

She nodded, "God only accepts the innocents. If I want to be forgiven, I need to find a sinner to kill me and be given another chance, or God will not accept me."

"Was that what the bible said?" He asked.

She shook her head, "It only said that god would not accept me because of my ideals for perfection. It was in the bible I found in the building. However, after we got out, Zack couldn't kill me. He saved me from dying and got sent to prison. Even after the escape, he told me that he can't kill me with the boring look on my face."

"The boring look on your face… huh?" the man said with a frown before letting out a sigh, "I see. Ah. That's right!"

He tapped her shoulder making certain to get her attention and smiled, "I'm Toyotomi Hideyoshi. So, you want to be forgiven was that why you sought out Zack in the beginning?"

Rachel nodded quietly. He nodded, "I see. Then, can you tell me what happened in that building?"

She looked to him hesitantly, "You believe me?"

Hideyoshi nodded.

"That day." She began, "I found myself in the basement of the building. The basement had many floors and I was part of a game."

"A game?"

She nodded, "A game of the sacrifice and the angels. As the sacrifice, I needed to get past the angels and escape with my life."

"Who were the angels?" he asked with a frown.

"Zack was one of them. Doctor Danny, my counseling doctor. A boy called Eddie. A woman named Cathy. And a priest called Abraham." She answered, "They were the angels. Before that, I was one of them too. My floor was at the top, but Abraham and Danny made me the sacrifice at the time and lose my memories. I didn't find them back till Zack nearly killed Danny and saved me. By killing another Angel, Zack also became a sacrifice for betrayal and we made our promise there. As long as Zack will kill me, I helped him escape from the building."

"And all that was the game?" he asked with a frown.

She nodded, "When I figured out that we could escape from the second floor and not the first, Doctor Danny almost killed me with a gun. Zack helped me escape and find help, but he got arrested at the same time he found the authorities."

Hideoyoshi sighed, "Let me guess. He escaped from prison and broke you out of your counseling place. So the two of you have been on the run since?"

She nodded.

"That look he talked about." Hideyoshi asked, "What kind of look is he looking for?"

She looked to him in confusion, "He said that he hates it when people look so happy, but he's also not satisfied if he killed me with my look. But, no matter how I tried to smile, he never killed me."

Hideyoshi nodded, "I see. And, you don't know where he is now?"

She shook her head, "When I woke up, the town was under attack and soldiers in white were chasing after me."

He nodded, "The Uesugi Territory, huh?"

Suddenly, there was a growling noise as he raised a brow and looked to her. He chuckled, "Well, it's getting to that time, already."

"Hidoyoshi-sama!" Hanbee rushed up to them, "It's time for dinner."

"Great timing, Hanbee." Hideyoshi smiled, "Take Ray over to dinner first. I'll catch up."

Hanbee looked to him in confusion, but soon nodded and led the child away. Seeing Rachel gone, he sat back down and frowned, "So? What do you think?"

From behind him, the door slide open revealing it to be Shingen. The red hair werewolf stood next to him with his arms crossed and furrowed brow. After some thought, he finally sighed, "For now, we'll wait and see. Honestly, I never thought the situation would be this complicated."

"Ah." Hideyoshi nodded in agreement, "We're talking about a family problem, medical problems and murders all at once. Not to mention, that game she took part in. Now, we might even have a killer from another world on our hands. At least, we now know he didn't take part in her family's deaths."

"I thought it would be more difficult to get her to talk about what happened, but you were able to pull that out very easily." Shingen said with a frown, "The problem now…"

"Is she part of the reason why the Yakumas came back." Hideyoshi finished, "And, that's something that I still don't know yet."

"It's still difficult to assume she would be in the same position as Yuzuki. Her blood may not have the ability to awaken." Shingen said, "It also wouldn't be good to test it out on her either, especially since she's also a child."

Hideyoshi nodded, "Yup. It's best that we wait for now. Anyway, have you told Yukimura about her yet? His ninjas were the ones that found her."

Shingen answered, "Yes. They know about her, but they're fairly certain she has nothing to do with this mess."

"Doesn't want to believe the arrival of the girl could be the cause, huh?" Hideyoshi answered, "I can see where they're thoughts are coming from there. It's possible that we'll have to go and find the nest again. Still, is it really safe to let her stay in the castle? You have a murderer out there too."

Shingen sighed, "I said I'd find him for her, so I can't take that back, but he will have to be jailed for a while or even longer."

Hideyoshi shrugged, "We'll just let you take care of that business, but, if we find him here, he'll be finding himself in prison or at the end of our blades."

There was no response to that as the thought of the child came to their mind.

"That reminds me." Hideyoshi spoke up, "Did she have any weapons on her too?"

Shingen frowned, "We're still trying to get her to leave her bag behind so we can investigate. When we found her. She was hugging her bag very tightly. She woke up only after Masatoyo pried it out of her hands."

"You better start doing that soon." Hideyoshi answered, "While we're here, I'm sure Yuzuki can help identify some of the things she has."

"Speaking of her." Shingen frowned, "Who'd have thought that she really was from another world. You certainly surprised everyone today. Even your own vassals."

"That day I found out, your vassals suddenly arrived at my door, so I forgot all about it." Hideyoshi shrugged his shoulders, "It's fine now that they know, right? Honestly speaking, I never thought I'd have to tell this before you vassals too. Think you can keep it a secret?"

"For uncovering more information about the child, I can keep this a secret in return." Shingen responded with a frown, "I only ask that you do the same for the child."

Hideyoshi nodded, "Sounds fair enough."

* * *

**YueTian: Hey, guys! So, this was a crazy idea of mine. For the first few pages, I was debating whether to go with using the anime version of this or the phone app version. In the end, I went with Anime since I talked with the Fanfic guys and chose anime when they asked it to be either anime or game. It was a difficult choice but, since the English version is still unavailable, I've decided to settle with the anime version. So, I'm sorry if the first few paragraphs didn't make any sense. I'll probably figure it out after I read it again later. Okay. Also, I did not just write the title then the story. I just couldn't think of a title and went with this. Also, it was a bit funny when I thought about it, thanks to the actual song. Too bad the contents of the song doesn't quite fit with Ray since she does care about the bible stuff. Also, I'm not too familiar with the bible since I don't read them. I'm not in the area where I can easily obtain a bible without my parents knowing and looking back into the game is a bit of a trouble, but I guess I'll go through the game later. Well, hoped you thought this was interesting… or cringy. (Edit: I looked back to the bible part that Danny mentioned and corrected it.) **

* * *

_**3/20/2019 5:34 PM**_


	2. Chapter 2: An Oath Can't Be Stolen

An Oath Can't Be Stolen

_Become my perfect daddy._

The next day, Ray woke up and saw the wooden ceiling. She sat up and saw the empty Japanese room. That's when she remembered. That night, Shingen and the others arrived and she was brought to a temple where the others stayed. The place was a little strange, but it didn't really matter as much. Instead, she awoke to the sound of wood knocking on thing. She was curious and got up. After changing her kimono into her ordinary clothes, she turned to open the doors to what looked like a large garden and saw Masakage fighting with another person. She recalled the person also being present in the dining hall two days ago and back in the woods. She watched them fight in silence. It wasn't till after Masakage was knocked back to the ground that the two saw her.

"Ah! Uh… Ray, was it?" the man smiled with a wave, "Good morning!"

"Good morning…" She replied with a small nod and turned to Masakage with a small nod as well.

The boy looked away with a grumble. She looked around in confusion till she felt a pat on her head and looked up. It was Masatoyo.

"Good morning, Ray." He said with a smile, "Did you sleep well?"

She was quiet with uncertainty. Finally, she said with a blank look, "I had a dream…"

"Oh?" He raised a brow.

She nodded, "It's been a while…"

Masatoyo looked a little confused. She wasn't certain why he looked that, but something else caught her attention as she looked up at the ceiling and saw a white bird. Seeing her eyes resting not on him, he turned around and saw the bird. He raised a brow, "A bird?"

The bird seemed to be looking at her as she really wished to have it before pulling herself back with images coming back to her. Unless…

"Does it know where Zack is?" She wondered aloud.

Her words made his ears twitch. He looked back to her with uncertainty.

* * *

After hearing what Yuzuki had told them, it left them a little worried over her situation, though it did clear up a few things on her situation. The fact that the "friend" she was looking for was a murderer that slaughtered her family left an uncertain impression on them. Something that mystified them all. The bird that rested under the ceiling flew out and landed onto the tree a little away. Suddenly, the girl jumped off the veranda and out to the garden after it. Something about this made them wonder if it was the best choice to leave her with them. This is an army, after all. However, it seemed as if the killing intent from the training didn't have any affect on her when she was watching them. At this point, Masakage and the other man seemed to have already shrugged it off and returned to training while Masatoyo watched the child searching for any particular symptoms from her. All he could get was that she was a quiet girl and seemed to lack a sense for reading atmosphere. He was surprised that Yuzuki would know her personally too, but something about the child seem to tell him that something wasn't quite right with her. One of it being her looking for the person who took her parent's life. That part was already there for everyone as well. They all agreed yesterday that she was a mysterious child, but none of them seem to have an answer to how to help her. When Shingen and the other arrived, the though of leaving her with Yuzuki was already brought up, but with their wars against the Oda army, it was already a problem. Also, Ray was still a child according to Yuzuki's world. Normally, children around her age aren't completely exposed to war, but the child didn't seem to have a problem with the attack two days ago. In the end, she would remain with the Takeda till they figure out a solution. The other problem about this was that the blond soldier brought up the idea of leaving her with the Sanada Army. For now, they could ask them, but the matter with her "friend" could also be a problem. Her situation really wasn't getting better. It wasn't till he looked up that he saw her run out the gate! His eyes widen in surprise as he quickly gave chase.

* * *

As she chased after the bird, she soon found herself out of the garden and in town. She looked around till she saw something take off to the skies again. Turning around, she saw that it was the bird. Quickly! It could know where he is! Her legs carried her through the crowded streets. She ran with her focus only being on the bird. It wasn't long before the bird finally landed on a branch of a tree that she finally stopped. She looked up at the tree curiously before looking around. She soon found herself in the woods. She was already out of breath and really tired, but she really want to find him!

"Zack?!" She called out in confusion.

However, there was no response. Disappointed, she looked back to the white bird again. Suddenly, she felt a sting on her shoulder. She looked over to her shoulder and saw that it was bleeding. Something had grazed it. A voice called out to her from behind as she froze.

"Hello, Ray. It's wonderful to see you again. Are you keeping those beautiful peepers clean? If so, I'd like to see them right now. Also, that promise. An oath to put an end to yourself, right? I want to be certain of something. Are you sure that I can't steal that from you?"

She turned around and saw it. A tall man in a brown pants and blue shirt. Those eyes. A dark brown and another with a red and green irises stuck together into one. His appearance surprised her.

"Doctor… Danny…?" Her words slowly came out as she saw the gun still pointed at her.

The hand gun. She could only mutter, "You… You're still alive?"

She wasn't hallucinating was she? Quietly, she bit herself inside her cheek and felt a strong pain as blood rushed across her tongue. It was real. But, how? She looked to him in confusion, but his words brought a frown to her face, "I told you before. This oath was sworn by Zack and I. It's not something that you can take away from us, because an oath is something that can't be taken away. Even if it was never fulfilled."

She looked around and saw the white bird as she continued, "However, I know Zack will be able to fulfill it."

The doctor wore a smirk on his face as he replied, "But, he's not here. Not here for you or those beautiful blue eyes of yours anymore. What if I told you that I ended him?"

She shook her head, "I told you again and again. An oath is not something that can be taken away by someone. Even you are unable to take that away. I believe in the oath I swore with Zack. He won't die, even if he is human. He is Zack, after all."

As if a trigger, the doctor's arm trembled as the smirk turned into an agitated frown. However, a smile quickly returned to his face as he replied, "But… what if a god was able to take it away from you?"

His words brought confusion to her face as she frowned, "Even if it is god, I believe he won't have the power to take away our oath. An oath will always live until it is fulfilled. So, until Zack kills me, the oath we swore will never die or be stolen. None of what you say matters since the oath is ours, even if I die for any other reason without Zack's involvement."

"Oh, but it can." Danny said as his smile grew wider and his tongue rolled out with a glean in his eyes, "I'll show it to you. Just follow me into hell, Ray. I'll show you… that an oath can be taken away and, as a price, I'll keep those beautiful blue peepers safe and clean."

His words brought her to shudder. Something was wrong with him. Not to mention, the fact that he was alive. She recalled that there was news of his death and his body was found amongst the rubble of the building he blew up. But, she wasn't given enough time to think as the doctor slowly drew the trigger. Suddenly, something green rushed into her. She was then pushed to the ground as the sound of gunshot sounded. She looked up and saw that it was Masatoyo. It was unusual seeing him with a serious expression on his face. Quickly, he grabbed her by the wrist.

"Hurry!" He whispered and pulled her along.

The two ran through the woods as the gun shots ran out in the back. There was little time for talk as she could barely keep up with him. It was then that she saw the white bird again. It dove through the wood before them with unusual speed and grace. She wanted to follow it, but Masatoyo's grip on her wrist didn't give her the option. Reluctantly, she followed after him. It wasn't till they reached at the end of a cliff that she saw a small waterfall and a dead end which forced the two to stop. She turned around and saw the doctor coming to a stop before them. the hideous grin on his face and a sense of dread on her chest. She didn't want to die here. She want to die. By Zack's hand. By his desire for her death. However, this was a dead end. She then felt Masatoyo release her wrist and saw him pull out his blade. She had neve seen him use a sword before, but he is a soldier. So, it made some sense. However, Danny didn't back away. Instead, he looked at him with disapproval.

"Move aside. I have to take Ray to hell with me." The doctor said with dead eyes.

Then, the ecstatic, franctic face set in as he continued, "To show her how fragile her oath is."

His eyes turned to her as he said, "Come, Ray. I'll show you her. The Goddess of Death is waiting in hell for you."

She frowned.

"If you want, Zack could also be there waiting for you." He said with a wide grin, "The very same man you want to take your life. But, I can take it a step further and take the both of you to hell with her. I know she'll accept and love you too. You and your beautiful peepers."

She didn't move. She could not trust a word from his lips. There was only one god and, even if there isn't, there is only one Zack that she know of and will always know of.

"Only Zack can take my life." She responded with a frown and slowly stuck her hand into her bag.

Seeing this, the doctor sighed and glared at Masatoyo, "Move."

He pulled the trigger. Suddenly, all froze as she saw the hand gun fell to the ground. From his stomach stuck a red blade. Seeing this, Danny muttered slowly as blood fell to the ground, "Wha…t?"

Suddenly, he fell to the ground motionlessly. Revealing it to be the blond hair soldier.

"Masanobu." Masatoyo sighed in relief, "That was a close one."

"The both of you were lucky that I left early then." The blond hair soldier said as he wiped away the sweat off his forehead and looked down to the man with a grimace, "Who is this?"

"Ray?" Masatoyo looked to her.

As they looked to her, she answered, "Doctor Danny. He was my counseling doctor."

Masatoyo grimaced, "Uh… You're sure? I think he might need it more than you…"

Masanobu shook his head with a frown, "Well, let's first make sure the two of you get back to town. I need to go on a mission and won't be back at the castle for a while. Looks like we might have another mystery on our hands here."

She looked to the doctor quietly before Masatoyo and Masanobu led her back to the town.

Upon her return, she remained on the temple grounds looking for the little white bird that no longer remained in the garden.

* * *

"Her counseling doctor?!" Masakage frowned, "Hey, isn't that the guy that murderer killed? How is he still alive?"

"More importantly." The tall man said with a frown, "How did he get here? Didn't Yuzuki said that they came from a another world? Yuzuki came here because of her connection with Himemiko, but this child and the doctor had no connection to all of this, right?"

Masatoyo frowned, "I don't know, but I've heard the doctor continued talking about this death goddess. I can't tell if it's because he's gone crazy or if it's because of something we don't know about."

Masakage grumbled, "Well, you said that he seemed obsessed with her, right? So, he must have something wrong with him, but…"

His eyes then shifted to Shingen who have been silent during the entire conversation. Finally, he said, "Masatoyo, take her and go to Sanada territory with Masanobu immediately. Do not mention a word about Yuzuki's background."

Masatoyo nodded, "Of course, Shingen-sama."

With that, Masatoyo left the bright room to the halls. Having gone, Shingen got up, "Masakage, Nobuharu, we're going to examine the sight."

* * *

It was a little strange. At first, she was in the garden searching for the bird and, the next, she was riding on a brown horse with Masatoyo. All he told her was that he was going to take her to an allies' territory and that things might go out of hand in their army. She didn't mind it at first, but she never thought that riding a horse would be as tiring or bumpy. She looked up at Masatoyo who was rather focused at the path. He did say that they needed to catch up with Masanobu. She didn't understand it very well, but maybe it has something to do with today? She don't know, but her attention was soon drawn to the horse. She thought it was an admirable thing being so tall and majestic, but it wasn't hers and it will never be. This wasn't something that she was forced to realize, just something she came to understand. She wasn't happy in the least, but she wasn't adamant about wanting it either. At the very least, she's come to understand that something just can't be in her reach even if she wanted it. There were conditions that have to be met or just accepted to be out. This horse. They would need him in the battle, so she can't have him nor can she ask them to let her borrow one.

She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Masanobu looking up at her with a smile, "Finally out of it?"

Masatoyo got off the horse and helped her off. She looked around and saw that the sun was high in the sky and her bottom hurts from the ride. She was ready for her feet to touch the ground any time. Just as long as she was off the horse.

"So, Shingen-sama wants her to come along too, then." Masanobu said firmly.

"Yeah." Masatoyo replied with a frown, "It could be too dangerous for her to stay with either castles. It sounds like we really need Sanada army's help. Masakage and Nobuharu is with Shingen-sama right now."

Masanobu nodded with a frown, "The sooner we finish this the quicker we can go back and give them a hand."

Masatoyo nodded. Taking the reins, he led the horse while Masanobu took her hand as if she was still a child. But, she didn't complain and only looked about for the small bird and him. It was then that she saw some green spiky plant and plucked it as they walked along the path. She recognized that it was a Japanese yew that she had seen in books one time. As they walked along, she spotted a purple flower and reached out to it. A hand grabbed her and she turned around and saw that it was Masanobu who frowned, "I know it looks pretty, but it's poisonous. So, don't touch it."

She slowly nodded and retracted her hand as he released it. As they walked, Masanobu said with a relieved smile, "Next time, don't touch anything you aren't sure of. Some plants in the area are poisonous, so don't touch them."

Hearing this, she nodded again. As night finally set in, her surroundings became dark with no moon to guide the way. However, they continued walking. She came to a sudden stop and looked up to see Masanobu, who said with a smile, "We're here. This is the town."

She looked ahead and saw the small houses lit inside. She was then led along the path of the flat land to the largest building of them all. This building had a tall wall around it. She wondered if the people in there also had an army like this one. It was then that she felt a pat on her head and looked up. This time, she saw a tall man with dusty brown hair and blue eyes. Just like Masatoyo and Masanobu, he also had wolf-ears and a tail. There were the same color as his hair.

"Hm. Is something the matter?" he asked curiously with a small smile.

She frowned in confusion, "Um… You are…"

"This is Sanada Nobuyuki, Ray." Masanobu replied with a smile, "He's the elder brother of Sanada Yukimura."

"Oh." Rachel nodded slowly.

Seeing this, Nobuyuki looked to them with a smile, "I see that you must have had a long journey."

Masanobu waved his hand in denial, "There's actually some matters we'd like to speak of with you."

At this point, Ray looked at the corner of the street curiously. The street was wide and fields of plants lined the side of it. Was this a country-side like the old man's place? She wondered if Zack would be here sneaking out vegetables to eat from the fields. If so, that would be a relief. It would tell her that he was all right. However, Doctor Danny's words still rang in her ears. Could Zack really be hurt? She had always known Zack was strong. He was Zack, after all.

* * *

The child that was brought in was the same child that he had read about in the letter by the Takeda army. Rachel Gardener. To be honest, he was still skeptical about the girl's involvement with the return of the yakumas. Still, she was just a child. Probably a bit younger than one of their ninjas, but still a child. Seeing here in the light of the lamps before him, his brother, and the three ninjas, he could see it much clearer. Blond hair and blue eyes. Dull blank eyes. It was a rare trait amongst the humans, which was why it caught their ninjas' attention during the patrol. Her clothes was also otherworldly a bit like Yuzuki. They had met the woman before since she came to visit them once. He wondered if her condition was the same, though. Another thing that bothered him was her eyes and her movement. They were really slow, almost lethargic. This worried him. The man with green eyes and chestnut color hair, Yukimura, who sat next to him, looked to her with a look of concern, "Maybe she could stay the night here."

Nobuyuki nodded in agreement, "Sasuke, take her to one of the guest rooms."

"Got it." A teenage boy with silver-brown hair nodded and stood up.

"If possible." Masanobu spoke up, "Can you also have someone guard her?"

Nobuyuki and Yukimura looked to Masanobu in surprise as did the others. Nobuyuki raised a brow, "A guard?"

Yukimura nodded and looked to Sasuke. The boy nodded and walked over to Ray whose gaze was down casted to her knees as if she did something wrong.

"Hey." Sasuke called out to her, "Let's go."

However, there was a moment in silence as she remained unresponsive.

Nobuyuki raised a brow as Sasuke called out to her again bending down to her level, "Hey!"

Masanobu tapped on her shoulder as the girl slowly looked to him. He pointed to Sasuke and said, "Ray, you're going to stay here for the night. Sasuke will show you to your room."

He then turned to Sasuke, "She's a bit slow and spaces out a lot, so just make sure you have her attention when you talk to her."

Sasuke raised a brow, but nodded. The girl slowly got up and followed after him out the door. With the door closed behind the two, Yukimura turned to the two, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"It's about the yakumas." Masanobu answered, "Recently, we've discovered that they've been popping out all over Shinga again. Aside from Takeda territory, we've found that some even appeared in along Toyotomi borders as well."

Yukimura frowned, "They've appeared in our lands too."

Nobuyuki looked to them, "Does Rachel have something to do with this, after all?"

"We don't know." Masanobu responded, "Since taking her into our lands, there haven't been any changes to the attacks, unlike before."

"Then, it might not be her." Yukimura said with a frown, "Then, why did you bring her here? There's a reason, right?"

"Um…"

They were slightly startled as Masatoyo spoke up next to Masanobu.

"Masatoyo." Masanobu strained a small grin, "Please don't surprise people like that."

"I didn't…" Masatoyo grumbled with a sigh before he continued, "Shingen-sama requested if Ray could stay with the Sanada army for a while. We're currently in no position to take care of a child and we can't take her to the battlefield. Toyotomi's general is in a similar position since they also have to protect Yuzuki. Ray seem to also come from the same hometown as Yuzuki and is unfamiliar with these lands. She also requires someone to be with her since she has a psychological problem."

"Psychological problem?" A blue-hair ninja's eyes widen in surprise, "That little girl?"

Yukimura frowned, "Then, you've found something about her?"

Masanobu frowned, "Yes. It would seem that she and Yuzuki were acquaintances. Though, Ray might not remember her though. You see, her parents were victims to a close-room murder. So, she is the only survivor of the incident and has suffered from additional psychological problems since that day. Yuzuki also told us that her counsel doctor figured that she might've had this hypoactive delirium meaning she is unable to focus on her surroundings and follow what others are saying to her, which leads to her spacing out every so often."

Yukimura frowned, "So, just now… that was one of them?"

Masanobu nodded, "Traits like these will be problematic if she was on the battlefield. Also, there's a chance that she is also being targeted."

Eyes turned to him as Yukimura asked firmly, "By an army? Does it have to do with her encounter with the Uesugi army?"

He shook his head, "No. By individual people. Masatoyo."

The green soldier nodded, "This morning, Ray left the temple grounds in Toyotomi's lands. I sought to chase after her and found her in the forest. She had encountered a man in white that clearly wasn't of these lands. He displayed an unhealthy obsession for her eyes and tried to kill her over some promise. I jumped in to protect her. But, his hand gun was a lot quicker than your average rifles. If Masanobu hadn't been passing by there, we'd have jumped off a cliff by then."

"The man?" Nobuyuki asked with a frown.

"Dead." Masanobu answered, "I killed him. Turns out that man was her former counseling doctor. He snuck her out to a building and tried to kill her."

"Huh?!" Masatoyo's eyes widen in surprise, "I didn't hear about that!"

"Toyotomi's general was able to get the information out of her and revealed it to Shingen-sama." Masanobu replied with a frown, "What Yuzuki knows about the building was only what everyone in their hometown knew about. The one who had claimed to have took her parent's lives actually saved her from the building when it exploded. Her counseling doctor was supposed to have died there with other people who took part in trying to take her life."

"But he's alive." Yukimura finished with a frown, "Then, there had been many attempts on her life as well."

Masanobu nodded, "That's right. Ray thought that he was dead too, but we found him in Toyotomi territory."

"We are looking into the situation right now and there's a chance that Hideyoshi will also take part in the investigation. Aside from Yuzuki and Ray, there's never been many foreigners in Shinga till now. There's also the chance that they might come after her." Masatoyo said.

Masanobu turned to them, "So, Shingen-sama request help in watching over the child while we look into this matter."

The room had a heavy silence before Nobuyuki said with a frown, "Yukimura, we need to discuss this further before we make a decision."

The general looked to him with uncertainty before he nodded, "All right, brother. Saizo, Kamonosuke, show them to the guest room."

"Nobuyuki." Masanobu called out to the assistant general with a frown, "There's something else I'd like to speak with you in private before Yukimura makes his decision."

Yukimura raised a brow, "Is there something you can tell him, but not me?"

Nobuyuki frowned, "Yukimura is the general."

Masanobu looked between the two before he slowly nodded, "Then, there's something I'd like to private speak with you two about."

Yukimura looked to the two ninjas who then left the room with a confused Masatoyo.

* * *

That morning, Rachel woke up to the same ceiling. She slowly sat up in confusion.

"Oh! Morning!"

She looked up and saw the over-confident ninja, Saizo, watching her from afar. She looked to him in confusion as he continued, "Yukimura asked to bring you to the dining hall."

"Yuki…mura?" She frowned in confusion.

The ninja raised a brow, "So you really didn't notice him too. He's Nobuyuki's little brother and the general of this army. Come on!"

Pulling her out of her futon, Saizo brought her to the large room where everyone sat. There next to the man she recognized was a shorter man with chestnut color hair and green eyes. He also had wolf ears and tail while wearing a green uniform. He really looked a little like the man next to him. Curious, she saw Masanobu and sat next to him before seeing two other ninjas sitting across from each other. She looked to them in confusion as the one with the blue hair gave her a small smile. Sasuke sat next to a ninja with the hood as he announced, "Ah, it seems she really didn't hear our introduction yesterday. She didn't remember Yukimura when I told her that you told me to bring her here."

"Oh?" Nobuyuki raised a brow, "So, she spaced out again?"

Yukimura smiled, "It's fine if we tell her again. Um, so I'm the general of the Sanada army, Sanada Yukimura. You seem to recognize Sasuke and my brother already. That is Kamanosuke, and Saizo. They were the one who found you between our borders."

As he said this, the ninja with the hood, Kamanosuke gave a big yawn. Rachel looked to them with a small nod, "Oh… Thank you…"

Her slow speech brought another yawn to the hood ninja before receiving an elbow from Sasuke who glared at him. It was then that Yukimura spoke up, so we've already talked this over and came to a decision. Ray can stay here with us for now."

Nobuyuki nodded, "It's true, in comparison to the Toyotomi and Takeda, we have yet to encounter any serious damage from the Yakumas."

"Since Ray shouldn't have any relations with the Yakumas, she can stay here with us." Yukimura said with a smile, "Of course, we'll try to see what we can find out about the Himemiko and the Yakumas in our territory, but, for now, this is about all we know of the current situation."

"Ya-ku-mas?" Ray repeated with a frown and looked to Masanobu.

He's raised a brow in surprise, "That's the monsters you saw in that town three days ago."

"Oh…" she said with a nod.

Masanobu looked around in confusion.

"I'm right here." Masatoyo spoke up as they all saw him sitting next to Masanobu with a sigh, "I thought she already knew. We never hid it from her. Perhaps she was also spaced out at the point too?"

Nobuyuki sighed, "Well, we can't have her go around the town and castle spaced out all the time."

Yukimura nodded and turned to the ninjas, "Sasuke, you'll be her guard for now."

"Right!" He said with a nod and gave her a smile.

She returned with a small nod and a blank look. Yukimura then continued, "Sasuke and Kamanosuke will help take a look at the situation with the Yakumas."

"Right!" the two ninjas replied firmly.

After the meeting, they arrived at the gate as Masanobu patted her head and placed a small brown box with a strange symbol engraved on it in her hand, "We'll be back, so just wait here, okay? Keep this with you too and don't lose it. If you ever need to return, bring this with you."

Rachel slowly nodded, "Okay…"

Yukimura spoke up, "We'll let you know if we find anything on our side. You probably should hurry back then. Shingen-sa-… Shingen will be returning to Takeda territory, right?"

Masatoyo answered with a frown, "Not until we figure out the situation behind the man who came after her."

Masanobu shook her head, "We should return first and check out the situation on their side. The matter occurred in Toyotomi territory. It's most likely that we'll have to leave the matter in their hands. Then, we shall take our leave."

As they turned around and left, Ray watched them walk away with the horse they rode on. It was then that Yukimura and the others brought her back inside. As she sat in the garden, she looked around curiously. It was a little similar to the garden in the temple, but much wider and a lot of plants. It was then that she felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Yukimura sit next to her with a smile, "Do you like the garden?"

Rachel stared at the garden before she slowly nodded, "It's pretty…"

"Looks like Sasuke's and the other's efforts paid off then." He chuckled.

She looked to him in confusion, "They made it?"

"No." Yukimura smiled, "But, they tended the garden yesterday morning for hours before you arrived. Are you looking for something?"

She thought for a bit before she responded, "A white bird…"

"A white bird?" he said with a raised brow.

She nodded, "It was leading me to where Zack is, but Doctor Danny got in the way…"

"Zack…" Yukimura said firmly, "That's your friend, right? The one Masanobu and the other said you were looking for?"

She nodded again, "Issac Foster. He likes to be called Zack, though. I hope he's doing well…"

There was a moment of silence before Yukimura sighed and nodded, "Well, maybe he'll be fine. Shingen and the others said that they'll look into it after the Uesugi backs off from that town. It'll be a while before then, so just try to stay patient for a bit longer. It's not easy rebuilding a town."

She slowly nodded and looked at the box in her hand. Yukimura patted her shoulder and pointed to the box, "I believe this is a pass that lets you travel into Takeda territory. That crest on the box belongs to the Takeda army. Ah! Speaking of which… Here!"

He then pulled out a similar small box with a different round carving on it and placed it in her hand, "This is a pass that lets you enter our territory. The crest belongs to our army, so no one will stop you from entering our territory unannounced if you came across the patrols. Keep these two with you, got it?"

She slowly nodded. Carefully, she touched the engravings on the boxes. Tracing the lines with her fingers. The bow was smooth and light in her palms. It was clear that something lay hidden in the boxes. She wanted to open them. With this in mind, she turned to Yukimura, "Can I take a look at what's inside?"

"Huh?" he raised a brow but nodded, "Just leave the Takeda pass be, though. You'll need Masanobu and the others for permission to open that one."

She opened the box and found that it held her name in japanese, age, and details of her physical appearance. Yukimura smiled, "We just tried it out recently. This way, we won't have to worry about a pass being stolen. I'm pretty sure the Takeda pass is the same, but you should leave that alone for now."

She nodded and stuffed the other pass into her bag. She then looked to Yukimura and frowned, "Is it really unusual for me to have blond hair?"

Yukimura hesitated before he replied, "Sort of. The trait isn't uncommon in the Gekka tribe."

"Gekka tribe?" she said with a raised brow.

"You don't recall any of that?" Yukimura said in a shocked expression and pointed to his ears, "The Gekka tribe consists of three races: Vampire, Werewolves, and Oni. Since I have these ears and a tail, I'm a werewolf."

That where she recalled it and said with a frown, "Shingen and Masanobu had them too. Then, they're werewolves? Werewolves are real?"

"We're real." Yukimura said as his ears twitched and he chuckled, "Have you never seen one of us before?"

"In Japan and America, they don't exists. I've read stories about them…" She answered curiously, "Then, can you turn into a real wolf at a full moon?"

Yukimura strained a smile, "No. That's impossible. We do have better senses than humans and are stronger than them too. So, the Gekka tribe is just a fairytale in your homeland… I wonder if it's the same for Yuzuki? Ah, then Shingen must've explained it to her. Ah. Ray, Sasuke's here too."

She turned around and saw the ninja looking to her with a small smile, "Hey! Sorry to bother ya! There's something I really want to ask you. Is it true that you created a bomb?! You gotta tell me how you did that!"

"Sasuke…" Yukimura sighed with a small frown.

As he asked her this with sparkling eyes, she said with a confused look, "You… want to know…?"

He nodded fervently, "Yes!"

She then reached into her bag and pulled out two batteries. She said as she pulled out some more materials, "These are batteries. They store electric energy in them."

As she began tying the end of the batteries together with a long piece of wire, she continued, "If you tie them together like this, it will produce enough heat. If you tied a rag around it, you can light it on fire and in a dusty place, it can light the dust particles on fire and make that explosion. I accidentally dropped in while escaping and it set the gas on fire."

"Batteries?" Sasuke said curiously picking it up, "It looks weird…"

She continued, "It's poisonous to us if a living person consumes it. The stuff inside is toxic."

Hearing this, Sasuke quickly puts it back down, "Seriously?! And you carry it around with you?"

"I won't know if I'll need them." she merely responded stoicly, "Also… God said it's bad to kill yourself."

"Huh?" Sasuke raised a brow.

Yukimura was quiet before he smiled, "Well… Want to help me in the fields today?"

"The fields?" she said in confusion.

He nodded, "I'll show you. Follow me."

She put the other pass into her bag and followed him in a hurry. It wasn't long before they started walking along the streets. After a while of walking, she felt a slight wind brushing against her and looked up. Around them were large fields of plants that she had seen the night before. As she walked, a hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder making her turn around and saw that it was Sasuke. The werewolf teenager grinned, "Hey, it's over here."

He took her hand and pulled her along into one of the large fields. She then saw the general with the basket placed from his back on the ground as he waved to her, "Over here!"

Walking between the crops, she saw the plump white root of the plant.

"This is…" She muttered quietly upon arriving.

"White Radishes." Yukimura said with a smile, "Want to help me pick some?"

She looked around in confusion when she recalled the story books and classes she took. Slowly, she approached one and grabbed a hold of the leaves.

"Ah!" Yukimura stopped her with a pat on her shoulder, "Not like that. Grab around the stem and pull as hard as you can."

She readjusted her hold on the plant and grabbed the stems with both hands around the stem. However, no matter how hard she pulled, it stubbornly stood in the ground. Sasuke laughed, "That was so funny!"

"Sasuke…" Yukimura frowned and gave her a smile as he got down to grab the stem, "Ray is just not use to farm work. It takes a lot of work before you can pull one out. Now, come on. I'll help too. One, two, three!"

Suddenly, she pulled on the radish with as much strength as she can pull into it. It still wouldn't budge. If Zack was here, he probably could've pulled it out easily. However, after a few more seconds, she felt the vegetable budge and trudged itself out of the ground before finally letting itself go from the ground. Ray suddenly fell back to the ground as the general stood there with the radish in hand. She looked up and saw the white radish. It looked like it could be ten times the size of your average orange carrot!

She slowly got up and brushed the dirt off herself before looking around. She had hoped that he was there, but she guessed she was wrong. If he was here, would she have tried to make him food? The old man taught her a bit, despite being blind, and her coworkers taught her how to cook a bit too. It was then that she felt a slight pain in her chest. It was a pain she hasn't felt in a long time since being with Zack. A sense of longing. She wanted to see him. Yet, though she thought she felt his gaze, the sensation was unfamiliar. Perhaps it was just her. It was then that she felt another pat on her shoulder and looked up to see Yukimura standing there with a basket loaded with white radishes on his back. He smiled, "It's time we get back. Brother would get worried if you stay out here for too long."

She didn't respond, but followed as Sasuke pushed her along from behind with a downcast grumble. Seeing this, Yukimura could only give a small smile and said, "Next time, Sasuke."

"Right…" the ninja replied with a sigh.

As they made their way to return, she noticed two women walking past. Seeing the general, they responded with a bright smile, "Good afternoon, Yukimura-sama, Sasuke! Returning to the castle, are we?"

"My, you even brought a child!" the other said with a look of surprise and joked, "She's not yours, is she?"

"Haha… No. Of course not." Yukimura responded with a chuckle, "A friend asked that we watch over her for a while. Seems like they have some important matters to take care of. It's going to take a while, so she's going to be at the castle for a bit. She's a foreigner to these lands, so we're going to show her around."

"Oh, is that so?" the woman replied and smiled, "Her hair and eyes are very pretty. What's your name?"

Curious, she responded slowly, "Rachel Gardner…"

Yukimura smiled, "She has a bit of a problem when socializing, so she always responds slowly and can lose focus in the middle of conversation. But, she's a clever girl, just a bit shy."

"I see. Well, welcome to Sanada territory, Gardner." The woman responded with a smile and patted her head, "Please come visit us again."

She nodded silently. As the two left, she looked up to him curiously, "You get along with everyone…"

As the continued, he replied, "Well, the people of this land really do take care of us. They're people who we care about too. So, I want to protect them too."

"That's right!" Sasuke added with a nod when he saw her hand on his scarf, "Also, how long are you going to hold onto that?"

Seeing this, she asked, "Was it bad?"

"Nah." Sasuke replied after some hesitation, "Just don't rip it."

"Okay…"

* * *

After dinner that night, Rachel was busy peeling at the stick of the plant she brought with her the day before. She had never seen a Japanese Yew in real life before, so the experience was interesting. She seemed to have finally finished peeling the stick and the leaves before taking out a bamboo bottle and stuck the pieces in it. She then placed it in her bag and was about to prepare for bed when she heard clamors coming from outside. She looked to the paper doors curiously when she suddenly felt something hit the back of her head.

* * *

The night was well when Yukimura and his brother saw Sasuke take the girl back from the veranda. It was then that the elder sibling asked, "How was she today?"

"Aside from spacing out, nothing too abnormal, brother." Yukimura answered, "Also, it seems that she didn't pay attention when Shingen-sama told her about the Gekka tribe. I doubt she recognized that Hideyoshi was a vampire when she was in Toyotomi territory. Do you remember when you questioned why she didn't think of taking her own life yesterday, brother?"

The assistant general looked to him with a raised a brow as he continued, "That religious bible said that it was bad to end their own lives. So, we shouldn't have to worry about that. Also, she seems like a good girl. So, try not to worry too much. Anyway, how was the patrol today? You took Saizo and Kamanosuke with you, right?"

The man nodded, "No signs of the Yakumas today either."

"That's good. The people will be safe." Yukimura nodded.

"Not exactly." Nobuyuki frowned, "It seems that people have been going missing in the last few days. Even after we banned entry in some parts of the forests, the number of missing people are growing."

Yukimura frowned, "Really? Then, we have a kidnapper, or…?"

Nobuyuki shook his head, "We don't know, but I assume that's the case. It happens more often in the afternoon and night regardless if they were in the forest or not. Most of the victims were along the border of town."

Yukimura looked to him, "We can try send a squad out to check on the situation."

"Saizo and Kamanosuke identified that it was probably a person doing this. Moreover, he does a thorough job hiding his tracks." Nobuyuki replied, "He also set up false ones and fooled them."

"Saizo and Kamanosuke?" Yukimura raised a brow as he frowned, "Then, we're going to have to go on a thorough search of the place. What worries me now is what happened to the victim-!"

Suddenly, there was a loud crash. The shattering sounds of plates and the banging of the pots and pans from the kitchen startle the two brothers as Yukimura grabbed his long red and silver lance. He rushed through halls and shouted, "It's coming from the kitchen!"

Upon entering the kitchen, they saw that the room was a mess and, amongst the mess, a red cloth stuck out from the side of the broken window. Looking about, Yukimura reached over and picked up the cloth. He frowned, "A scarf… But, Sasuke's the only person who where's a scarf and his isn't-"

He gasped and turned to his brother, "Rachel!"

"I'm on it!" Nobuyuki replied as he was already stepping out the door.

However, by the time they got there, it was already too late. The sliding door to the child's room was wide open and before it lay an unconscious werewolf followed by another blue werewolf.

"Sasuke! Saizo!"

They rushed over and was stunned by their state. The two weren't hurt, but they didn't seem to be doing any better. Yukimura looked around and shouted, "Kamanosuke?! Kamanosuke!"

He suddenly felt a hand on his arm and saw Saizo struggle to get up, "He's chasing… him. Poison gas…"

"Poison gas?!" Yukimura's eyes widen in surprise.

He had heard of poison gas. But, he never thought that the two would fall victim to it. The three hardly fall for any tricks up the sleeves in war, so the thought of poison gas being the cause of their state was completely unthinkable. Yukimura frowned.

"Yukimura-sama, Leave this to me." Noboyuki said, "Go after Ray and Kamanosuke. Bring some soldiers with you too."

Yukumura nodded and hurried out the gates alone.

* * *

When she woke up, Rachel found herself in a dark cave with the soft grass under her. She slowly got up with a blank look as she looked around and saw that she was in a place full of flowers. The light of the moon and a few gravestones. She was surrounded by a wall of rocks under the light of the moon. She frowned and turned to see that there was a few tunnels with one of them being an iron gate with a lock. She stared at it with a blank look. It's been a long time since she's seen iron bars and a lock like that.

"Ah, you're awake!"

She spun around at the large shout from behind her and saw a teenage boy slightly younger than her. The red scarf, blue overalls, a shovel in hand and horrific sack for a mask. Her eyes narrow in confusion as she spoke, "You…"

"It's me, Ray." The boy said pointing to himself with his gloves, "Don't you remember me? It's me! Eddie."

"Edd…ie." She said with a deeper frown, "Then, do you know where Zack is?"

"Hey, Rachel. Forget about that guy already. It's already been so long and he still hasn't killed you yet." Eddie said with a confident voice, "If you choose me, I'll give you a painless death, a beautiful grave and you can be mine. Mine alone… Things the senseless guy will never thought to give you. You should be gifted with so much more and I can give you that! I can promise to kill you! By god if you need it to be so! I can bring you to the goddess and we can swear the oath upon your grave! So, just pick me."

Despite so much promise in his words, his outburst was that of a lunatic and his cries only landed harshly on her ears annoying her so. His voice was that of a child who had yet to grow and needy. No. She don't want him to kill her. The only one who has the rights to her life can only be Zack. She frowned, "The one who can kill me…" She said inciting excitement in Eddie as she continued, "Eddie. It's not you. It will never be you."

As she said this whilst shaking his head, he could hear his teeth grind as he shouted, "Why?! Hey, Ray. Just what is it that he has that I don't have? I have all the things that you could ever want. A beautiful grave? Check. A painless death? I can give you that. I even have a goddess on my side, yet you still won't pick me. Just what is it that I'm lacking. Hey, Ray…?"

She shook her head with a stoic face, "Even if you have god with you, my god is dead. Even so, the only one I will let to kill me is Zack and it will always be him."

"Is it because of the oath?" Eddie asked with an empty tone, "If that's what's stopping you from picking me, then I can bring the goddess and we can break it! Then, you can finally rest in your grave and I will always tend to it with great care that grave desecrator will never achieve!"

Something moved in the corner of her eyes as she shooked her head with a frown, "The oath Zack and I made are renewed. It's something that belongs to me and Zack only. Even if you kill me now, the oath Zack and I have will still be there incompleted. Also, I know you were never one to believe in god himself."

"Well, that's because I met one." He said with a gleeful tone, "I met with a god who heard me. If you can just pick me than I can take you there and the god will gift you everything you want too."

Saying this, he tightened his grip on the shovel and walked a step forward with an outstretched palm and mitt, "Let's go, Rachel."

She shook her head, "You are wrong, Eddie. God accepts every innocent souls to his side and, yet, here you are taking them. If god was really with you, then I could've seen it from you."

She turned to the iron barred gate as she could see the flicker of little lights inside of it.

"God will never subject for the suffering to be placed on another." She then turned to him with a frown, "Also… God hates liars."

Eddie was taken aback by her steadfast response. It was then that bells rang in the tunnel that the boy grumbled with his shovel on his shoulder, "Someone's here. Just wait here. I'll be back before you know it!"

As he rushed off, she watched in silence till he was gone from sight. Quickly, she rushed to the iron bars and saw them. They were people from the town or at least looked like them. She quickly turned to the lock. It was the usual rusty lock. She pulled on it hard once and saw that it was still in better use, at least. She furrowed her brow in disappointment.

"He probably has the keys on him…" she grumbled and examined the lock.

She looked to them and saw their anxious looks, "It'll be all right. Yukimura will come."

Suddenly, amongst them a familiar woman walked up to her with a look of concern, "We know. More importantly, you should run, Rachel."

It was the woman from that afternoon! The woman continued, "I don't know what you have with the boy, but it's clear that he wants to hurt you. You should run. Yukimura won't be happy if you got hurt too."

"It'll be fine." She replied, "He won't hurt me that easily. Hold on."

She quickly rummaged through her bag and took out a battery. She hurried to find a large rock and then smashed the rock onto the battery till the outer layer came off and flattened it. Quickly, she formed a triangle on one end and flattened it again with a rock. It was then that she picked it up and rushed to the lock.

"What are you doing?"

She spun around, but sighed in relief we she saw that it was the hooded ninja with the blue tail and blue eyes.

"Kamanosuke?" she said, "Ah, I'm going to try get the people out."

She hurried to the lock and slid the point of the triangle into the socket of the lock. With some effort and twisting, she finally got the lock to open. She quickly opened the gates as the woman rushed up to them, "Kamanosuke! If you're here, then is Yukimura on his way too?"

The ninja nodded much to their relief. The woman turned to the girl and smiled, "Thank you very much for freeing us, Rachel."

She only nodded silently.

"Everyone!"

They looked up and saw Yukimura run out to them with a squad of soldier with him. He rushed over to them and saw Ray amongst them. Seeing everyone, he was able to smile in relief and pulled out the keys, "Looks like I was a little late. It took a while to snatch the keys from the boy."

"Yukimura-sama." One of the citizen spoke up, "Is the boy…"

Yukimura shook his head with a grimace, "He's not with us anymore. He escaped these lands and trespassed into Takeda territory."

"Takeda…" Kamanosuke repeated.

Yukimura nodded, "Ah, looks like we're going to have to let them know. Is everyone okay?"

A man said with a grimace, "Everyone is unharmed, but…"

He turned to the grave, "Some of us became victims…"

Seeing the graves, Yukimura grimaced, "First, let's get the rest of you home safely. Then, you can tell me what happened."

He turned to the graves with a frown, "We'll bring them back to their families too…"

* * *

**YueTian: Hey, guys! How are you doing? I hope everyone's having a great Spring Break! This chapter was a little unusual, but that's because I realized I started this fanfic without thinking much about the plot. So, I ended up added the supposedly dead bosses of the game. However, it seems as if problems are appearing left and right so I'm going to have to slowly sort those out. Honestly, I didn't think I'd get this far with the story. I hope you all like it so far, though. I'm going to be posting this story a little more before I return to the others. I hope you all have a great remainder of the Spring Break! Also, I'm considering of trying out Wattpad soon and even start working on my own fiction story! I hope you will come to like it too! See ya!**

* * *

**_3/23/2019 3:19 PM_**


	3. Chapter 3: Into The Dark

Into the Dark

That night, they returned to the castle. Yukimura did everything in his abilities to console the people. It was the first time she'd ever seen him look so angry before. Nobuyuki was there too. He wasn't any happier either. Not that she couldn't understand that they'd be angry.

Curious as to how Sasuke was doing, she walked about the halls till she came upon a lit room. Curious, she stood before it in confusion. It was then that the door opened that she saw Nobuyuki. He looked to her in surprise before patting her head with a small smile, "Are you here to see Sasuke and Saizo? They're still resting right now. So, come back tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded in confusion, "Are they all right?"

He nodded in response, "Yes. There's no need to worry, okay? Kamanosuke."

He turned a bit as she saw the two ninjas resting on futons and the other slowly getting up with a yawn, "'kay…"

She watched as he walked over to her. Nobuyuki said, "Since Sasuke and Saizo aren't in any condition to work, we need you to watch over her."

It was then that she heard footsteps and saw Yukimura arrive with two other people behind him. Her eyes widen in surprise as she muttered, "Hideyoshi and… Yuzuki?"

Hearing this, Nobuyuki's eyes widen in surprise before he frowned and greeted them with a small nod. Then, he turned to Yukimura and said, "Saizo and Sasuke are all right now. They'll be able to return to their post tomorrow."

He then turned to the two, "My apologies you had to see us in this state."

Hideyoshi shook his head, "It's fine. We came running as soon as we heard that some kidnapping occurred."

Yuzuki hurried to Rachel and pat her shoulder with a worried expression, "Are you all right? We heard you were kidnapped."

Ray nodded silently. Yuzuki looked up to the brothers, "How is Sasuke and Saizo doing?"

"They're fine." Yukimura smiled, "Seems like they'll be walking around by tomorrow."

She sighed in relief, "That's a relief…"

"Yuzuki, can you go watch over those two for a bit?" Nobuyuki asked with a small smile, "There's something we need to talk about with Toyotomi's supreme commander."

"Supreme… commander…" Ray looked to Hideyoshi with a look of confusion, "Like, Shingen?"

Hideyoshi smiled, "Yup! You didn't recognize me as one before?"

Ray continued to stare at him in confusion. Yuzuki smiled, "Well, I'll go watch over the two, then."

* * *

After she had gone and Ray was brought to her room, the brothers led Hideyoshi to the meeting room. As Hideyoshi sat, he finally said, "So, the individual came here too."

"It's not the doctor this time." Yukimura said with a frown, "But he also targeted Ray."

"Well, I have some bad news for you too." Hideyoshi said with a sigh before glancing over to them, "Turns out the doctor somehow survived being stabbed in the stomach and ran off. We're looking for him, but can't track him down just yet. Shingen also returned to his territory to continue the search for others."

"That's not good." Nobuyuki grimaced.

"Your people were okay, then?" Yukimura questioned with a frown, "Did they only come for her?"

Hideyoshi nodded, "Ah. He was more obsessed with her than the people. Why did this one targeted your people, then? I heard that some even returned with just their bodies."

Yukimura grimaced, "I don't know. The folks said that the child was insane and took a nasty liking to making graves. They said that they witnessed him taking a special liking to Ray and promised her a similar fate. What's worse is that he's still out there in Takeda territory. I just sent a messenger to Takeda territory. I'm worried he might try to do the same to the people there."

"Talk about bad taste." Hideyoshi grumbled, "Well, you better make sure that you keep close watch over the herbalist and healers. This doctor has a liking for eyes, especially blue eyes like Ray's, according to Shingen's vassals. At most, he might not hurt your people if he's only targeting Ray, but, just like the child you saw, he's no where near the right mind either."

He then continued, "Have you heard about the building that exploded from her hometown?"

Yukimura nodded, "Masanobu told us about it. Was he from the building, then?"

Hideyoshi nodded, "Ah. According to what Ray told me, I can guess that it must be the boy called Eric, then. Aside from her, he's the only one in the buildings who's the youngest."

After saying this, he frowned, "At this rate, it's very likely that the others are also alive. And, we just finished getting rid of most of the Yakumas too."

He frowned, "Also, there will be another big battle."

Yukimura looked to Nobuyuki who shook his head back with a frown. Yukimura sighed, "Well, we can't sit here either. What if we leave Sasuke here?"

"Then, we'd be one man short." Nobuyuki replied with a frown, "We're in no position to be short on the battle field either."

"I thought you might say that." Hideyoshi said with a sigh, "The people coming after Ray is turning into a problem too, so I wanted you to fight against Date's army. It seems like they would take part in the battle. They could pull an ambush during the battle."

Nobuyuki nodded, "Their army also seems to lack numbers, but they are able to make up for that with strategies. If we're to beat them, then we need to outsmart them."

"I bet that they'd know about Ray too." Hideyoshi said firmly, "Yuzuki said that, when she was taken, their supreme commander personally went before the Uesugi generals and kidnapped her from the castle undercover. I figured things would be different with your army since you work with ninjas too."

* * *

That night, everything was quiet when she went to bed. However, like some of the other nights before, it was a restless sleep. Ever since that dream she had after getting a bit of sleep, she could no longer fall asleep. Her nights were as restless as those days when she was in the facility. Her eyes were wide awake. She just couldn't seem to fall asleep no matter what. She was worried about Zack. Even more now that she knows Doctor Danny and Eddie are alive. Finally, she got up and looked around. There was nobody in the room. Seeing this, she finally got up and went to her bag that lay beside her. Opening it, she pulled out her handkerchief. The handkerchief was wrapped around something and she pulled it away revealing it. It was a knife that had a smooth wooden sheathe to it. One the sheathe was a clumsy engraving of her name. This was during that time when Zack had just learned how to read and impressed her with her name as the words he wrote for her. Seeing this, many thought about the man returned to her mind. She really wanted to see him again. A pain spread in her heart with her chest as the source. Ever flowing. She really miss him and wishes that he was there. That they've found him. Quietly, she enveloped it in her hands and quiet wished for his safety over and over again.

That morning, she got herself out of bed and saw that no one had come to get her yet. Quietly, she wrapped the handkerchief around the dagger and slipped it into her bag. Before changing into her original clothes. The she slipped a couple batteries into her pocket and took the lock she stole from Eddie after that night to fasten it onto her bag's zipper where the knife hid. It was something Zack had given to her after all. Something very important and precious to her. Something that is hers and bears the evidence of their oath. However, she wondered if there will ever be a time if Zack would need to give her a knew one. Would they have to renew their oath again? She silently wished that the day would only meant when it really needs to be done so. Till then, they oath will never change. Even if there's no god, she prayed for their sake, for her own sake that he keeps his promise. As long as she is of use to him to the end, then he will kill her. Silently, she sat there with her bag in hand. It wasn't until she heard a knock on the door that she quickly slung it over her and got up. Opening the door, she saw that it was Toyotomi's Supreme commander.

"Hey!" he smiled, "Care for a chat before breakfast?"

"Ah, wait! She must be still asleep!"

She turned and saw Yukimura rushing over. Upon seeing her, he stopped in surprise, "Ah, you're awake… G-Good morning."

She looked to him in confusion before she nodded.

Out on the veranda, she sat down with the two Supreme Commander who were surprisingly calm around her. She suppose that's what it means to be allies, then. Finally, Hideyoshi asked her, "Did you sleep well?"

She didn't reply, but, after a while, he continued, "Well, shall we talk about what happened last night?"

His words seemed to have surprise Yukimura, but what surprised him the most was her nod. Hideyoshi watched her quietly before patting her shoulder making her turn to him as he asked, "Do you remember who it was that kidnapped you yesterday? Was he one of the people in the building the game took place in?"

She nodded, "Yes. His name was Eddie."

"We saw that he was obsessed with graves." Hideyoshi said with a frown, "Can you tell me what he did in the building?"

She nodded again, closing his eyes once before she finally answered, "He was the angel of the fourth floor. He recorded information and kept death records of everyone they killed in the building. He also made graves for them too. He made a grave for me too, but I didn't want him to be the one to take my life."

"You wanted that Zack boy, then?" Hideyoshi asked quietly.

She nodded, "He swore to me. An oath. That as long as I helped him and am useful to him, he'd grant me the favor and take my life."

Her hand on her bag turned into a small fist as she gripped her bag, "But, he still couldn't do it because my face was too boring…"

Hideyoshi thought for a bit with Yukimura's stunned expression on his face. Before he finally continued, "What was Eddie's and Zack's relationship before? What about him and yours?"

She thought for a bit before answering, "That day when we arrive on Eddie's floor, I went to find clues to escape the floor with Zack. Zack gotten annoyed while I was gone and went around destroying the graves that Eddie made on his floor. I think it was because of that that Eddie didn't like him very much."

"Why did it annoyed him?" Yukimura raised a brow, "I mean, those graves belonged to someone, right?"

She thought for a bit with closed eyes before tilting her head and answering stoicly, "Because it annoyed him while waiting for me to come back?"

Her answer confused them, but Hideyoshi nodded, "Then, what about you and Eddie?"

She thought for a bit before answering, "I don't know if this is a good reason. He said that he loved me when he saw me the first time."

Suddenly, Yukimura had a coughing fit. Hideyoshi sighed and shook his head with a shrug and a smirk, "So, he's obsessed with you, then."

"No, wait!" Yukimura called out nervously after the coughs, "Why did he try to kill you, then? That makes no sense at all!"

"He said that he would grant my wish and make me a beautiful grave." She answered bluntly, "The grave was pretty with nice flowers and butterflies around it, but I didn't want him to kill me. Only Zack can do that. Because, that day, Zack swore to god that he would kill me. Eddie never believed in god, so, in turn, I can't believe him and Zack said that he hates liars. That was why I chose Zack over him."

"What about now?" Hideyoshi asked with his eyes on her, "What do you think about that promise now, then?"

"Even if god isn't here anymore, the oath Zack and I swore is something that can't be taken away. Even if Zack doesn't fulfill it, it'll always be there. If he allows it, then I'll carry the burden of it." She answered, "This is why Eddie can't kill me."

Her words were naïve and simple, but there was weight in them that the commanders detected. Neither of them said a word for a while before Yukimura spoke, "Then, do you know why he made graves for the people last night?"

She shook her head, "In the building, he dug graves for the sacrifices because that was his role. He really seemed like he enjoyed doing it and said that he was nice."

After some silence, Yukimura finally spoke, "Do you remember anyone else from the building? In detail?"

She thought quietly before opening her eyes again and nodded, "The angel of the third floor after Eddie was a woman called Cathy. She was tall, wore black and white suit with a black skirt, and long black boots. Her hair was dyed pink on the end, so they're pink and blond. She had gray eyes, though."

"A woman?" Yukimura answered curiously.

She nodded, "She said that she was the condemner and would condemn us for our sins. She nearly killed Zack that day with her guns. She had them attached to a machine so it would shoot for her. Other than that, she was able to see where we go every time and use torture devices."

"Zack killed her, then?" Hideyoshi asked seeing the quiet look on the other supreme commander.

She nodded, "Zack and I killed her."

"I see…" Hideyoshi said quietly staring up at the sky.

The silence that came after was long till Yukimura said quietly, "I wonder why Eddie did that? He thought he was being nice, but… this is too much. What he did really wasn't nice and it hurt the families back home."

Suddenly, the door behind opened as Nobuyuki stood there with a sigh, "So, this was where you were. It's time for breakfast. Huh? Ah, were you talking about something with Ray? My apologies, Hideyoshi-sama."

"It's fine, brother." Yukimura replied with a smile, "We're just about finished anyway."

Just as she turned to Yukimura, she felt a pat on her head and saw his smile, "Also, Kamanosuke told me that you don't seem to be injured after yesterday's event. Still, you scared me there when I saw your hair."

She frowned in confusion before she suddenly remembered. Hideyoshi raised a brow, "Her hair?"

"Last night, I woke up when Eddie was carrying me." She replied stoicly, "I knew that I wouldn't live since nobody was there, so I used my hair to create a path."

Yukimura sighed in relief, but frowned, "Well, this time I'll let it go, but remember to treasure your hair from now on."

"Treasure my hair?" she replied in confusion.

"Ah…" Yukimura grimaced with hesitation, "Well, anyways, just don't do that again unless you can't think of anything else and take better care of your hair."

"In these lands, hair is considered to be a woman's treasure." Nobuyuki said with a smile, "It's an idea that's been known by the people for a long time. There are very few who don't think so."

She raised a brow, "Why?"

Hideyoshi chuckled, "Well, how about this? Normally, hair is important to most women for many different reasons. We, men, know that. So imagine when Yukimura here saw something he thought you really care about plucked from your head and onto the ground? Of course, we'd panic. In most cases, that'd mean you're close to dying or already dead. Anyone would be worried about you if you'd did that."

Hearing this, she looked to Yukimura with a surprised look. She asked in blunt confusion, "You were… worried?"

Yukimura looked to her with wide eyes, "Of course! You were kidnapped yesterday and could've lost your life. I really thought that I was going to fall into a trap because of that. You and the people are both very important to us, Ray."

Though harsh and sad his voice was, she could feel a bit of warmth of the hand on her head. She had been moved from one place to another, but never had thought that they all cared about her. To begin with the reason why she helped the people was because she had heard that they were all important to Yukimura and she didn't want to see the cheerful demeanor of his sadden for losing his precious treasure. Had it not been for that, she'd have plotted her own escape. She'd never thought that he'd come to save her too. This feeling was foreign to her, but it was too bad that it wasn't anywhere close to Zack's hand.

* * *

That afternoon, Yukimura brought her and Yuzuki out to the fields. Yukimura had just finished discussing with the victims that morning and wanted to take a breather. Yuzuki volunteered to help and they wanted to bring Ray along. She wasn't given much of a choice, so she and Saizo followed them through the field. Along the way, their voices seemed to grow louder as if they were excited or something was wrong, but it wasn't all bad. At least, that what she felt. So, she looked up and saw the two blushing as the two elderly women walked by with one of them patting her head.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Ray." The woman said with a bright smile.

Surprised, she nodded quietly, "S-See you…"

As they walked on, she and Yuzuki helped gather a lot of white radish, or what Yuzuki called Daikon radishes. On their way back, Yukimura had to make a quick stop somewhere and soon returned with a small wooden pin decorated with a delicate white flower. Seeing this, she looked to them as Yuzuki smiled, "I remembered that your birthday was a week from today. June tenth, right?"

She nodded quietly. Yukimura smiled, "We probably won't have the time to celebrate it with you, so here's your birthday gift in advance."

She looked to him curiously before taking it in her hands, "This is… mine?"

Yukimura nodded, "It's not real porcelain or anything special, but I hope you like it."

She thought carefully before she nodded, "Thank… you…"

"What?!" Saizo said with wide eyes, "Yukimura, you knew about this but not me?"

"Well, I did try to tell you since I thought you might be interested, but you were busy admiring yourself." The Supreme commander replied with a sigh.

They talked for a long time along the way before Hideyoshi came to pick them up. The voices were loud, but not unbearable for her. Instead, it kind of reminded her of back in the house with the old man, Zack, and her. The three of them around the dinner table as Zack complained for the meal to be ready. It was really… nostalgic. She only wished that Zack was here with her.

* * *

That night, after seeing that she had gone back to her room, Yuzuki and Hideyoshi sat across from Yukimura and his brother. Yukimura smiled, "It seems like Ray has shown a lot of improvement today."

Yuzuki nodded with a bright smile, "Yes. She got along really well with the people too. When I first saw her, she never responded as often."

"This is probably because we were there with Yuzuki today." Hideyoshi said with a disappointed frown, "You saw it too, right?"

As he said this to Nobuyuki, Yukimura raised a brow, "Huh? What do you mean? Brother?"

Nobuyuki shrugged with a sigh but smiled, "Well, I won't deny that. It's likely that, in the presence of Yuzuki with either of you two, she seemed to have portrayed the role of the daughter and the two of you became the parents. Seems to me, she was just reliving the days when her life was better."

"What?!"

Suddenly, Yukimura's entire face went red as Hideyoshi sighed, "This time, I'll let it go for Ray's sake, but, next time, don't get so close with my wife! You hear that?"

"Hideyoshi…" Yuzuki replied with a weak smile knowing that her intervention would be useless.

However, her thoughts drifted to something else as she whispered, "Her parents, huh…"

Hideyoshi looked to her as they could see the trembling frown on her face.

"I…" She said quietly.

Hideyoshi was quiet before he finally pat her shoulder and looked up to them. Yukimura and Nobuyuki nodded before Yukimura yawned and said aloud, "Let's get some sleep tonight, then. We had a lot of work done today. I'm also planning to teach her housework tomorrow too. You'll be leaving tomorrow, right? Spend the night in the castle, then."

"Got it. Thanks!" Hideyoshi replied.

"Oh! Ah… A-All right…" Yuzuki managed with a surprised look and gave them a small bow, "Th-Thank you!"

As they left, Yukimura spoke up with a frown, "I didn't think she was there listening to all that. If brother hadn't stopped us when you did-"

"Even then, that wasn't enough." Nobuyuki replied with a grimace, "Now she knows."

"Hideyoshi explained it to her in the end, then?" Yukimura asked.

Nobuyuki nodded, "At least, as much as he thinks she could handle."

Yukimura nodded too, "We don't want anything to happen to Yuzuki again. And, Ray…"

"Yukimura." Nobuyuki said with a frown, "You can try, but I doubt this would change her mind. She… seems to bear a lot of guilt on her shoulders."

"I know." Yukimura grumbled with a grimace, "But, she was only a child and just protecting herself. I just can't believe they'd so easily throw her aside without trying to help her…"

Seeing his rare anger, Nobuyuki was quiet for a bit before he said, "There will always be children who take the fall of the parent's actions, Yukimura. Not everyone is as fortunate as us. Though she may not have known what was right from wrong, she knew about it after, regardless of the source. The fact that she is just trying to reestablish herself regardless of the method proves that she still desires to do the right thing. For that, I believe that we can trust her and give her a chance."

Yukimura nodded, "She's not a bad girl, just lost. It's only after reading a religious scripture that she got better in her moralities. Which is why… I want her to live."

"You're not the only one." Nobuyuki said with a small smile, "This morning, all three ninjas came to me asking if they could guard her personally while she's here. Even, Kamanosuke looked awake for once while off-duty."

"Kamanosuke too?!" Yukimura spun around with wide eyes.

They were talking about the ninja that doesn't like to do much work, but nap and get lost in the garden, right?! The news surprised Yukimura before he finally chuckled, "It seems that her presence and resolve actually got through to someone. Looks like we weren't the only one that wants her to live in the end. But, that raises another question."

Nobuyuki looked to him with a raised brow as the Supreme Commander continued, "Does this Zack guy really wants to kill her or does he just want to postpone her death?"

* * *

That morning was normal, she got out of bed and saw her bag still locked. Then, she would have breakfast with everyone. She didn't necessarily have to talk, just be with them. However, even that felt a bit sad to her. It was then that she got to move about after the meal was over. It was then that she saw it. The pretty white bird. The bird sat on a large bonsai tree in the gardens. Curious, she got closer to it only to watch it hope away.

"Ah, wait!" she called out to it.

However, as if a mischievous child, it flew out the open gates! Quickly, she gave chase after it. She thought she heard something cry out, but she brushed it off as another bird's cry. Desperate to keep it in sight, she ran as fast as she could, but soon found herself in the forest. It was then that she felt a hand grab a hold of her. She spun around and breathed a sigh of relief to see that it was Sasuke. However, the teenage ninja wasn't happy. He frowned and scolded, "You shouldn't be leaving the castle grounds without permission! Geez… What if something happens to you?"

"But, the bird…" She spoke up desperately.

"The bird?"

He looked up and saw the white bird.

"Ah, I've never seen a bird like that in these parts of the wood…" Sasuke raised a brow, "You want it?"

She shook her head, "I think it might know where Zack is…"

Sasuke slightly stiffened at her answer till his ears twitched and he grabbed a hold of her before jumping into the trees. Startled by the sudden movement, she nearly screamed before Sasuke quickly covered it shut with a hand.

"Shhh…" he whispered.

They looked down from the trees and saw it. A tall white figure holding what looked to be a gold birdcage. The man grinned before opening the bird cage. There was a sudden screech as a storm of white feather flew around them. Suddenly, Rachel felt herself being pulled into it. She panicked and grabbed on tighter to Sasuke's shirt while he held on tight. The wind was strong and the force around her grew. Suddenly, the doctor smirked as his sharp tongue rolled out, "Come out now, Ray. Be a good girl now."

Suddenly, a burst of white feathers appeared as loud chirps filled the air. Before them, they watched in horror as the small white bird was pulled into the gold cage.

"What?" the doctor frowned in confusion as he saw the white bird in the cage, "You…"

Rachel held her breath as Sasuke took this chance and jumped from the trees to trees while carrying Rachel in his arms.

"Hold on…" He grumbled slightly.

Rachel couldn't say a word. Instead, she was just quiet throughout the entire run back. It was when they got to the front gate that the bumped into Yuzuki and Hideyoshi, who were all about to return to the castle in Toyotomi territory. The look on the ninja and the girl's face brought shock to the two while Yukimura and Nobuyuki rushed out in surprise. Even when asked question, she couldn't find an answer to them while Sasuke told them everything that happened not sparing a single detail as ordered. Upon hearing this, Hideyoshi frowned, "The doctor was here too?"

Yuzuki was quietly still with her hands around the girl's shoulders. However, the child was quiet. Her eyes were also dark. Seeing this, Yukimura grew worried. He had never seen her like this before. Sasuke nodded, "Yeah. That creepy freak with the two messed up eyes, right? We saw him. He had this strange birdcage and tried to steal Ray."

"Looks like he's no longer waiting for her consent." Nobuyuki said with a frown.

"The messenger still hasn't returned." Yukimura said with deep concern, "Could he have something to do with this?"

Yuzuki muttered quietly with a grimace, "The battle is coming soon too. At this rate, there will be no safe place for her."

It was then that a black bird landed on top of Sasuke's head. Annoyed, the ninja swiped it away only for it to peck at its hand.

"Ow! You little…"

"Wait!" Yukimura called out and carefully picked the bird off his head. It was a large black raven. Hideyoshi looked at it in astonishment, "Look at the size of that. Didn't think you'd have such large ravens in these parts…"

"We don't." Nobuyuki answered with a frown before raising a brow, "Yukimura, that…"

At his gesture, they saw the white paper attached to its leg. Quickly, Yukimura took it off as the bird suddenly took off! He quickly unrolled it and frowned, "What is this?"

"What? Let me see!"

As the ninjas said this, he looked over Yukimura's shoulder and frowned in confusion, "What's this?"

Hideyoshi frowned in confusion, "What is it?"

"I-I don't know." He said with a frown and handed it over to the Supreme Commander, "I don't understand the writing."

Hideyoshi took it as he and Yuzuki looked at it. Hideyoshi wore puzzled expression while Yuzuki's eyes widen in surprise, "This…"

He turned to her, "Do you recognize it?"

She nodded, "Yes, but I can't read it. It's a language from another country. I'm not as familiar with it."

"Another country." Nobuyuki frowned, "Then, why would the bird have it?"

Sasuke grumbled, "I knew I should've caught it right there."

"That's right!" Yuzuki gasped and turned to Hideyoshi, "The writing is English and Ray came from that country!"

Hesitantly, she turned to Ray, but the child was quiet. Hideyoshi and the others weren't as certain, but, finally, Hideyoshi sighed and handed the paper to her as Ray looked up in surprise, "We can't read this message. Can you read it for us, Ray?"

She was quiet, but slowly nodded quietly. Taking the paper in her hands, she opened it. Suddenly, her eyes widen in surprise as a small rare smile appeared on her face, "I see…"

Yukimura grew nervous upon seeing the change in her eyes as it start growing bright, "Ray?"

She looked to them with a small nod, "'Zack is safe' is what it said."

She frowned as she continued, "But, it said that everyone is resurrected and that I should head into the night."

Hideyoshi frowned, "Who was it from?"

She and Yuzuki looked to the sender only to find a small winged symbol as Ray whispered, "The bird…"

"There's the winged symbol on this…" Yuzuki said with a look of confusion.

"Into the Night…?" Hideyoshi said with a frown.

"What could that mean?" Yukimura grumbled.

"More importantly, it seems that someone is keeping close watch in her movement." Nobuyuki said with a frown.

Yukimura nodded, "They know where she is. At this rate, they'd be coming after her more often. A huge battle is coming up too and we need to prepare for that. Hiding her would be no small feat. Now that those people are back for her life, this will make it all the more difficult."

"Nobody will be in the castle, then…" Yuzuki muttered quietly.

She looked to the girl who was staring at the night quietly. At the very least, she was happy that the child was feeling a lot better.

Still, with the war on its way, the two left for the castle to prepare for the war. Ray, however, was quietly busy in her room as she filled the bamboo bottle with the hot water that she prepared ahead of time. Yukimura came to check on her once, but was soon called back out by his brother. The day went by and, by the time she finally went to bed, there was a loud ruckus outside, but Sasuke could be seen sitting next to her door as a silhouette before the light of the torches. She silently pulled out the little note from her bag and hugged it tightly in her hands before she finally drifted of to a light slumber for the first time.

* * *

When it was morning again, Saizo was to be her guard this time. Together with Sasuke and Kamanosuke, she followed them deep into the woods. It was then that they gave her large dark cloak and told her to wait under the root of a large tree. Being her guard, Saizo patted her head and smiled, "I'm not too far, so if you ever miss me just give me a shout, okay?"

Saying this, the man gave her a wink and a small flower. It was the rose he normally use in his poses. After that, they were gone. She then covered herself with the dark cover before she could hear the first gun shot. The first shots she's heard in days.

As she awaited for them, she suddenly heard some rustle in the distance. Quickly, she threw the blanket over her and waited motionlessly behind the covers. However, instead of voice, she heard quiet groans and frantic movement in the woods. Her eyes widen in surprise, but she stayed motionless and still just as the ninjas had instructed her. She stayed quiet under the light of the sun. It was then that she heard something whizz past her.

"What are these things?!" An unfamiliar voice called out.

"Nevermind that! Where's Ray?!"

She, then quietly, peeked out from behind her cover and saw the familiar backs. Her eyes widen in surprise as she saw Saizo with them.

"Under the tree roots!" Saizo called out.

The man turned around and spotted her as he rushed over. He pulled away the cover revealing her from underneath.

"Masanobu… Masakage…" She muttered quietly.

Masanobu nodded with a small smile, "That's right."

He reached out and carried her in his arms, "Hold on tight, okay?"

He turned around and shouted, "Pull back into the woods!"

"Masanobu!" Masakage shouted, "Just leave this to us and take her back!"

The man hesitated, but, after seeing more strange skeletal figures with grotesque bearing teeth, he finally looked back to her before he nodded, "Got it. Be careful!"

It was then that he turned around and quickly ran for the bushes. Curious, Ray looked around as the dashes of light and greenery flew by. She asked, "What's going on?"

"We're retreating from the battlefield." Masanobu responded with a grimace, "We don't have time for a battle. Do you recognize those figures?"

Remembering the deathly pale skeletal figures, she shook her head, "I don't know who they are. More Yakumas?"

Masanobu strained a smile, "That's the least of our problems now. Now, stay quiet, okay?"

She nodded as he carried her through the woods. It wasn't long before they finally reached closer to the town that the man suddenly collapsed with sweat coming from his forehead.

"Argh!"

He tumbled to the ground as Rachel tumbled a short distance away from her. She got up and looked to the man and saw him lying down on the ground with an arrow to his back and his leg. They were bleeding. She looked up and saw it. Two men on horsebacks running after them. One had light blue hair and green uniform while the other had an eye patch and dark blue hair. She watched in confusion and determining what she should do when Masasnobu shouted, "Run!"

She tried to do just that, but was stunned when she saw a figure jump at the two. It was one of the skeletal figures. She froze in fear as the two tried to fight it off successfully killing it before seeing that their horses were soon devoured by another. She wasn't certain what to do, but it was then that another arrow flew into their direction killing off the monster with an arrow to the neck. The corpses lay on the ground as the two men rushed over dodging more. The taller one scooped her up as the other hid Masanobu under a bush. Seeing this, Masanobu shouted, "Wait! Where are you taking her? There's no way for certain that she has the same blood as the other girl."

"Are you in any position to say that?" the other short werewolf with light blue hair smirked, "Just so you know, we're letting you live because Masamune said so."

"Why are you…" Masanobu frowned in confusion.

"My enemy's enemy is my friend, is it not? I'll only go this far for now." Masamune grumbled, "Shigezane, we're leaving."

"Understood!" the teenager called out and hurried after him before turning around and smirked, "Consider yourself lucky this time."

It was then that they rushed through the woods as Ray looked up to him in confusion, "Who are you?"

But the man didn't respond. Instead, they rushed through the woods till they came upon a rather small squad as another man taller than them appeared and said with a raised brow, "Masamune-sama, your horse-"

"There's no time to explain." Masamune responded, "Listen. Those things are attracted to anything that moves more than sounds. They'll most likely attack us on our way back. We'll have to go through _that _path back."

The werewolf with dark green hair responded with a nod. It was then that they continued quietly through the woods with the man, Masamune, carrying her. Rather than questioning everything around her, she looked around moving just her eyes. It wasn't long before another group of soldier saw them and handed some extra horses to them. Now she rode on the one thing that gave her cramps a few days back. It was annoying, but she had nothing to complain for now that she was on something that wasn't his arms. She didn't know why she was taken, but that didn't matter much to her either. Instead, they soon arrived at a small town with a castle in the distance. She was confused by all this, but was quiet as well. She watched as the man rode the horse through the town and didn't stop till they came to the inside of the castle where she was brought down and thrown into a shed. When she looked back she saw the tall man close the door behind him. She looked at the door and in confusion and tried to slide it open before seeing that it was locked from the other side. Curious, she looked around till she saw the bar window near the ceiling of the shed. The floor wasn't as rough since it was wood, but she was curious as to where she was. Looking around under the moon's light, she saw the numerous boxes around her and turned to one of the boxes that was large and sturdy. With great effort, she pushed it under the window before climbing it. With a light jump, she was able to reach the window as she grasped the bars. She slowly lifted herself up and saw what looked like a garden and a rundown castle. She looked around curiously before seeing the tall werewolf walk out with a tray. It wasn't till he looked up and saw her looking at him from the window that he nearly dropped the tray of food.

"Get down from there." He managed to say, "It's dangerous, you know."

As if not being able to hear his words, he saw her eyes shifting to the house curiously and the garden before she asked, "Am I in another territory?"

"I won't tell you unless you get down from there." He replied slightly annoyed.

However, she didn't seem to hear him before he repeated himself, "I won't tell you unless you get down from there."

"Oh…" She replied after seeing him, "Ok-!"

Suddenly, there was a snap as he suddenly heard a thud. Rachel had fallen down from the window and was unable to move for a bit after her leg hit the box. She just lay there for a while before she slowly got up and saw the wooden bars in her hands. There was a sting of pain in her leg as she looked at saw that it was heavily bruised already. The door, suddenly, swung open as some people rushed in. One was the teenage boy she remembered was called Shigezane, the second was the tall man, and the third was the man they called Masamune who came in holding a lamp in his hand. The tall man pushed the tray into Shigezane's hands before rushing over to her, "Are you all right?"

She looked from them to her leg before she slowly answered, "I won't die. I think I just broke my leg."

She then saw the bars in her hands and brought them up with a frown, "I broke the window… Sorry…"

The tall man's eyes widen as Masamune furrowed his brow.

"_Just_ broke your leg?" Shigezane said with wide eyes, "Say, just who are you?"

"Shigezane." The tall man quietly scolded the boy before Masamune approached her.

"How bad is it?" Masamune asked the man.

He touched her leg as a sharp pain. She held her breath in surprise as she barely muttered, "Ow… It hurts…"

"Obviously…" the man said with a sigh, "She broke it, but it's not as bad. Applying a splint and give it a few weeks will probably do the trick. However, the blood…"

"I can stitch it back up…" She replied quietly, "I have a sewing kit with me."

They looked to her with a stunned expression before the tall man frowned, "I'll go get the splinter and bandage. Make sure she doesn't escape, Shigezane."

"Got it!" the teenager replied.

Once he left, she looked to the man called Masamune who stared at her before asking, "Rachel Gardner, was it?"

Shigezane grumbled in confusion, "Lay-shell-?"

"Ray is fine…" She replied.

"Oh! Well, that's a lot easier." He said with a child-like grin, "I'm Date Shigezane!

"Can you not feel pain or fear?" Masamune asked.

She shook her head, "I can feel the pain, but I'm not afraid since I'm not going to die from a broken leg. The bleeding isn't bad too."

"Talk about a tough girl." The teenager said with a small smile.

It was then that she looked to him in confusion, "Um… where am I?"

"Date Territory." Masamune answered bluntly.

"Date?" She questioned with a look of confusion.

"Girl." The man asked, "How old are you?"

"Fifteen." She replied.

"What's your relation to the monsters, then?" He asked.

"Monsters… As in the Yakumas?" She asked in confusion.

But there was no response as she thought of the attack back in the town. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder that she saw them staring at her with the tall man already back. He turned to her with a look of confusion as the Masamune asked, "What is your relation with those monsters back during the battle today?"

"The battle?" Ray frowned, "I don't know. I was told to hide under the trees roots today and wait for them to be finished with the battle."

"Why were you in Sanada territory, then?" Masamune asked.

She thought carefully before a bit in silence before she looked to them and answered, "Because… I was being chased."

Their face changed into confusion as the tall man froze with the stick in his hand.

"Chased? By who?" Masamune asked cautiously.

"By my former counseling doctor and everyone who was suppose to be dead." She replied bluntly.

Her straightforward reply brought confusion to them all as Masamune frowned, "Listen, if you don't tell me the truth, I'll kill you right here."

"But, I'm not lying." She replied bluntly without fear.

After some thoughts, the man with the blue hair and dark uniform along with the droopy blue dog-like ears, Masamune frowned before handing the lamp to the youngest of them and left without a word. After leaving, the tall man finished tying the splint to her leg. They watched in shock as she personally stitched up the wound with a needle and a thread before they finished wrapping it with bandage. The tall man then took the tray of food from Shigezane before placing it next to her. They then left the room leaving her alone. She looked to the food before she started eating her food.

* * *

Outside, Masamune was soon followed by the two soldiers as the youngest spoke with a frown, "That was a little creepy, right? Honestly, Yuzuki was better."

"Kojuurou." Masamune said as the tall man looked up, "Gather intel about the girl. Start from the Takeda clan. That was where she was first sighted. Find anything that associates her involvement or occurrences. Especially about this counseling doctor."

"Understood." The tall man bowed.

"Hey, Masamune?" the youngest called out, "If she had a counseling doctor, that means that something is wrong with her, right? Like her thinking is different?"

Masamune turned to Shigezane, "Shigezane, keep a distance from that child."

"Got it." The teenager replied with a sigh.

* * *

**YueTian: Hey! I'm back! I was worried since I had no idea of a plot here, but now I've figured something out and now I hope you all like what I have in mind. Ray have traveled from Takeda, to Toyotomi, Sanada, and finally, Date Territory. This was not part of the plan, but it's going along well. For now, I plan to continue this path without much of an idea of what will happen next, but I've figured out a new plot that incorporates new characters. I hope you all enjoy the up coming chapters that's to come!**

* * *

_**3/25/2019 12:43 AM**_


	4. Chapter 4: Resurrection

Resurection

That day, she got up and saw the light coming from the window. The bars was still gone, but she heard the familiar found of wood against wood. After while of the sound, it was then that she heard Shigezane's voice yelp.

"Damn it…" he grumbled.

She turned to the window quietly and looked to the cast on her leg. It still hurts to move it, but it wasn't as bad. That morning, the man called Masamune came in with her food.

* * *

Masamune didn't seem to have made a single word, but neither had she. Instead, she just stared out at the window as a bird rested on the broken frame. Her downcast look caught his attention curiously, but he made no comment and left the room. However, her eyes left him slightly bothered. She was a little younger than his own brother, but the look in her eyes is not something he'd thought to have seen from a fifteen year old child. Could they've not have gathered enough information about her? Afternoon rolled around and she was still staring at the same window when he returned with her lunch. This time however, she was trying to beckon the bird to her. The bird seemed to have no interest in her and continued to stay in place as if taunting her. He felt something was off as she didn't back down.

"Hey…" She called out to it, "Do you know where the little white bird is?"

Now, it was starting to really bother him as he sat her tray of food down. However, she still hadn't paid attention to him as he raised a brow. Finally, he reached out and tapped her shoulder, "Hey."

She spun around in surprise with the same dull eyes as she noticed the tray of food. She looked to him with a small nod, "Thank… you…"

Her speech was still a problem. She didn't smile, nor did she cry. But, she wasn't brave or cautious around them either. It was as if she was accepting of her fate and it annoyed him. It made little sense why the other three armies held any attachment to her or that she was being sought after. Finally, he left the room locking the door behind him again.

* * *

Though he was keeping her here, Rachel didn't felt any ill intent from him, which was why she ate the food. A person like that won't try to harm her. As night closed in, something suddenly flew into the room. It was the same Raven. Her eyes widen in surprise as she reached out to it and held onto it. Hugging it tightly against her chest. She heard the door suddenly burst open as Masamune and Shigezane rushed in. Seeing her hold on tightly to the bird, he frowned, "What's that?"

She looked to him and stated, "This bird delivered a message to me once…"

Masamune frowned and turned to Shigezane who nodded and rushed out. Masamune turned to her, "The bird."

She looked to him in confusion.

"Hand it over." He clarified.

She nodded and handed him the bird. The Raven was large, but the man held it with no problem. Seeing the message of its leg, he took it off and grabbed a hold of the leg making sure it stays. Finally, opening it up to see, he raised a brow and frowned, "Where do you come from?"

"Japan." She answered.

He frowned, but slowly sighed before taking the bird and closing the door behind him. There was a cry from behind the door, but it was soon followed with a thud. Ah. As she thought this, sound of flaps pounded the air before she saw the bird back through her window and in the room. She stared at it in awe before reaching out to it. The raven inched closer till it voluntarily hopped onto her lap. Her heart pounded happily with a small smile as she hugged it closer. The warm body rested on her lap as she slowly drifted off into a slumber.

That night, she barely had any dreams as she awoke the next day to the sound of the open door. She opened her eyes and saw that it was the teenage boy and the tall man with the tray of food. He noticed her with the crow and the tray left untouched as he raised a brow, "You didn't eat…"

Seeing this, she nodded, "I forgot… Sorry…"

He looked to her in confusion before he nodded and switched the trays as he said firmly, "Next time, don't forget your food."

The Raven cawed at him loudly as if in rebuke to his words. He looked at it curiously before he shrugged it off and turned to the boy, "Shigezane."

"G-Got it!" the boy grumbled before turning to her and bowed, "S-Sorry for what I said two nights ago… It was… Insensitive… for me to say that to you…"

She was slightly confused before she nodded slowly. The tall man said with a nod of approval and turned to her with a frown, "Due to some errands, I was unable to scold him for his words two night ago. It was rude of him, so we apologize for that. As punishment, he'll take on a favor from you as long as it's sensible and something he can do."

She looked to the boy in confusion seeing that he could not be a sinner as he did save Masanobu despite hurting him. She thought for a bit before noticing the small bookshelf next to the bow they had pushed back in place and said, "I'd like to learn how to read."

"Eh?" the boy's eyes widen in surprise.

"To read?" the tall man raised a brow.

She nodded.

"Could it be…"

"The girl can't understand our writing system." The two looked back and saw Masamune standing behind them.

"Ah, Masamune!" the younger said with wide eyes.

However, he walked past him and two. He glared at the Raven in her leg but stood before Rachel and stuck the paper in front of her. It was the same one that he tore from the Raven's leg.

"Translate this." He ordered.

The Raven tried to peck at his hand, but she took the paper quietly and opened it. Seeing the words, she wore a small smile that surprised them. It was a tranquil one. She said, "Don't let me kill you just yet…"

Her words surprised them as she pet the Raven in her lap. The Raven cawed and screeched before turning away as if peeved by this. However, the smile on her face was still there, though not as big or tangible. She smiled nonetheless. If only it felt more real, then, maybe, she could be a pretty little girl as they had previously thought her to be. The message, however, definitely ruined the mood. Masamune grumbled, "And what does that mean? Shigezane."

"There was no enemy soldiers in the area or that Masanobu we saved." Shigezane replied.

Masamune was quiet before he turned to the tall man who nodded quietly. He turned to Shigezane and ordered, "Teach her how to read our writing, then. Also…"

He turned to her with a firm look, "You're free to leave this shed as you like. From now on, you'll be living in the castle. However, you are prohibited from leaving the gates."

She looked to him quietly before she nodded with a vanished smile, "Okay."

As they left the room, Ray looked to the Raven quietly, "I got it. I'll do my best, then…"

The Raven cawed again before turning around.

* * *

After that, Shigezane went off searching for books for the girl, specifically, the ones he hasn't touched in years. Apparently, Kojuurou wanted him to use the nursery ones to teach her instead. Seeing the brother rush about the castle, Masamune was in quiet thoughts. He had never thought that the vassal would return so quickly and the information he found was surprising.

"So, she's not scared of death, huh…" He muttered silently.

He was quiet before he noticed the child looking up at a brown bird n the wall. She was a quiet as she talked with it. Did she have an affinity with them? But, it's not like those will be much help, right? It was then that he heard the sound of running footsteps and looked up.

* * *

It was quiet at first, but it soon became really noisy. She wasn't sure what had happened, but Shigezane rushed out to her and grabbed her wrist.

"Come on!" He said with a grimace.

As they rushed through the hall, she was quiet till they reached a room. He brought her in and said with a frown, "There's a battle going on outside, so stay in here, got it?"

After saying this, he then closed the door shut and rushed back out.

"A battle?" She whispered quietly in confusion.

She looked around the room and saw the simple room structure with a futon set on the side. She looked around the room quietly before she heard a very familiar voice.

"It should be here, then…" the voice muttered as a click was then heard.

Suddenly, the door was broken open as the voice shouted, "Finally! I-"

However, the room was empty. The woman cursed a loud and grumbled, "Well, she isn't going anywhere, that's for sure. I'll kill her. I must have my revenge."

As the woman stormed off, Rachel stayed quiet as she awaited for it to be all over. It wasn't till after what felt like hours of waiting and praying the Raven wouldn't start making noises that she finally start drifting off to a light slumber. The sound of gun shots ran the air that soon followed by a scream which woke her up. She looked up in surprise as voices could be heard.

"Looks like she's dead." Shigezane said with a loud sigh, "Talk about a lunatic…"

"Where's Rachel?!" Masamune asked firmly.

"That's right!" Shigezane said in surprise, "I didn't see her in her room!"

Suddenly, the raven started cawing out loud which surprised her.

"It's coming from her room…" the tall man said.

"Kojuurou, Shigezane. You did a thorough check, correct?" Masamune said as she could hear him open the door.

"That's correct, Masamune-sama." The tall man replied.

As the footsteps moved about the floor, she hesitated. Once it reached to her spot, she began hitting the ceiling as hard as she could. It must've surprised them as the footsteps moved back.

"What was that?!" Shigezane shouted in shock.

Finally, the floorboards were lifted up revealing that it was indeed Masamune and the other two. Seeing her and the Raven, they're eyes widen in surprise as Shigezane and Kojuurou quickly helped her out of the deep trench. As she reached out, Masamune rushed over to a corner and an audible scream was heard. She looked up and saw a fairly tall woman fall back against the wall. She had shoulder-length blonde dyed pink hair with bangs and green eyes. She wore red lipstick and has long lashes. Her outfit consists of a rectangular hat, a black short-sleeved blazer with a red tie, a mini pencil skirt with a slit on the side, red gloves with her right hand having a ring, and thigh-high heeled boots. However, all that was ruined with the blood spilt from her abdomen and her cut off arm. The woman glared at her as she cursed under her breath, "I'll… kill you… Just you wait… I'm going to judge you… You brat… you… criminal… girl… Judge… you…"

Those were her last words before her eyes finally lost their light and became as bleak as her own with her smile that soon retracted. The lunacy in her eyes vanished soon after. Masamune frowned and turned to the men, "Shigezane, take the girl to another room and guard her properly."

"Understood!" The boy responded and rushed the girl out of the room.

Once out and in another room, he sighed in relief and sat with a wide grin, "That was really smart of you to go hiding under the tatami floor boards. Thanks to that, we were able to catch the woman before she could escape. But, you know, you could've responded when I called out to you?"

She looked out and saw that it was already night when she looked to him in confusion, "You called? I think… I remember falling asleep…"

"What?!" He turned to her with wide eyes before he started to laugh.

The Raven cawed at him as the boy shook his head, "Sorry, sorry. It's just… who falls asleep in that situation?! You're really strange, you know that? I-I-In a good way, of course!"

She watched quietly in confusion till Masamune and Kojuurou walked in. the men turned to her before they looked to Shigezane who was already sitting across from her.

Masamune and the man then sat down next to her and pulled out the black handgun placing it before her.

"Do you know what kind of gun this is?" Masamune asked firmly.

"A hand gun." She replied bluntly.

"It's use?" Masamune questioned.

"You pull the top back to load the bullet and push down the lever. Then, when you pull the trigger, it shoots." Rachel responded.

They looked to her in surprise as Kojuurou asked, "So, you know how it's used. Have you used one before?"

The boy was surprised to hear this and watched her. There was a moment of silence before she nodded, "Yes."

Masamune frowned, "When and where?"

"Two years ago…" She responded blankly, "At home."

Her last words caught them off guard as Masamune's brow furrowed and Shigezane's eyes widen, "Seriously?!"

"You had it with you?" Masamune asked, "How did you get it?"

"It was my mother's secret weapon." She responded.

"Your mother?" Masamune said, "Was she part on the authority? A soldier?"

She shook her head, "No. Only my father."

There was a moment of silence before he continued, "How are you related to that woman?"

"She was one of the angels in the game." She responded, "She judges people by killing them."

"A game?" Masamune said with a frown, "What is this game?"

She looked to him with dark dull eyes as the bird cawed loudly.

"It was…" She started making the bird suddenly quiet, "called the Angels and the Sacrifice."

There was a moment of silence as she continued, "It took place in the basement of a building. The basement had seven floors. The top six floors each had an angel. The angel's role is to hunt down the sacrifice and prevent them from getting to the top. Their goal is to kill them."

Her words caused the boy to shudder. Her voice felt different than normal. So dark and heavy.

"So you were the sacrifice?" Kojuurou asked with a slight cough to clear the throat and shift the atmosphere.

"No." she replied, "I started as an Angel and then became the Sacrifice."

"You were an angel?" Shigezane's jaw dropped.

She nodded, "Nobody were able to get as far as reaching my floor, though. I was on the first floor before they turned me into the sacrifice."

"That woman." Masamune said, "Who was she?"

"Cathy." She replied, "She called herself the condemner and judges people. Her floor was like a prison and she called herself the ward. I think she likes to torture the sinners."

Shigezane sighed as he grumbled, "Glad we got rid of her, then…"

Masamune shook his head, "At least, the people were safe. But…"

Masamune looked to her with a frown, "How did you get away from there?"

"Zack and I killed her." She replied, "But lately, everyone we've killed was brought back to life… Even Doctor Danny…"

"Doctor Danny, you say…" Kojuurou said with a frown, "I remember there being a doctor that's currently being sought after by the Toyotomi army."

"He was my counseling doctor." She replied, "He was the first to bring me to the building and gave me a floor. He was also the Angel of the fifth floor."

Finally, Masamune looked to her with a frown, "You said that they were brought back to life, but bringing people back to life is impossible."

Rachel nodded, "She'd have gone to hell…"

They looked to her in surprise as she continued, "God hates liars and those who ruin his creations. If he did not accept Cathy, she could not have returned."

The three looked at each other before Kojuurou asked with a raised brow, "Could you be a religious believer?"

She looked to him in confusion, "I don't know… My god was long since dead. Now, I live along with someone else. Until I'm no longer useful to him and I still wear this dull expression, he'll be unable to kill me."

As she said this with a downcast look, they looked to her with uncertainty. Neither knowing what to say while Masamune looked to her and asked, "You wish to die?"

She nodded, "I wished to be killed… No, to be accepted in both life and death… That's what I want."

Her words seemed to have scared the boy slightly as Shigezane said with a frown, "B-But, what of your parents? What made you think that your family wouldn't accept you? They must've if you've lived for this long."

"Shigezane…" Kojuurou scolded firmly.

"My… family…" She whispered quietly as images flashed in the back of her mind, "She nodded, "They accepted me a long time ago, but, in the past few years, they changed. Father came home later and carried bottles that stank. Every night they screamed in the kitchen and stopped listening to me. One night, it got worse after I brought home a puppy in a box. I got worried that the puppy was scared so I went to check it out. Father stabbed mother that night and came after me. So, I took mother's secret weapon and stopped him from trying to hurt the puppy. Everything was peaceful for the first week before the authorities took them away from me. But, now I know that they were never mine to begin with. They stopped being mine for a long time. Stopped accepting me…"

As she said this, there was moment of silence in the air before the caw broke it all. Kojuurou immediately whispered something to Masamune before the man nodded and asked, "What about the game? You said that you wanted to be killed and that someone was willing to do that for you if you were useful. I take it that they wanted you to help them escape from the building?"

She nodded as a small light appeared in her eyes, "Yes. I forgot everything that happened before I arrived at the fifth floor. Doctor Danny wanted to take me for my eyes and Zack wanted to kill me, so he hurt Doctor Danny and got turned into the Sacrifice for betrayal. Zack was the sixth floor's angel and by going against the rules and moving on his own, he became a sacrifice too. I wanted him to kill me, but he wanted me to help him get out of the building, so we made a promise. We vowed that as long as I helped him get out, he'd kill me, but then things happened and now he doesn't want to kill me yet since I have a dull look on my face…"

After hearing this, they looked to Masamune, who thought for a bit before he nodded, "You, stay here for now and don't leave the gates. Shigezane, guard her. We'll interrogate her more tomorrow."

"Right…" He replied with a sigh as they walked away.

However, he only walked a little past the door as the others walked on. He turned around and smiled, "I'll be right outside, so just let me known if something happens."

She nodded quietly. With the door closed, she looked around before seeing the futon in the corner. Quietly, she rowed it out before sitting on it with the Raven on her leg. She patted it quietly as she whispered, "I wonder if they believe me? Those people back in the facility tried to keep me away from Zack when I told them what happened. Will they also do the same?"

The bird just cawed as if annoyed. She nodded emotionlessly, "I guess I should try to sleep, then."

That night, she had the same dream again and awoke to the caws of the bird. Her eyes snapped open just in time to see a pair of gleaming eyes staring back at her with a shovel raised above her. She gasped and pushed herself off the futon just in time to barely miss it. She barely got to her feet just as the door slammed open. However, the cast made it all the more difficult to move and she suddenly felt something grab her from behind before it broke through the door.

"It's time to go back now, Ray…"

The creepy voice lingered in her head as her eyes widen in surprise.

"Ray!"

As she fought her way to escape, she realized the futility of it all and grimaced before she managed to pull out a rose. It was the one that that Saizo and given her. Slowly, she plucked the petals when she felt a smack behind her neck.

* * *

When she awoke, she saw that she was next to a stream as shouts could be heard in the distance. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Eddie arguing with the doctor over who would be the one to kill her. However, she was of no where near ready to focus on their conversation when a voice screeched at them, "Can you freaks just shut your damn mouth already?! I swear, that brat is more quiet than you two and it's annoying!"

It was then that the doctor looked to her and his frown turned to that of ectasy as he grinned in adoration, "Rachel! Oh, Rachel! You're awake! Finally! It's been an entire night!"

As he rushed over, he smiled before seeing her cast and his face contorted, "Did they do this to you? Oh, don't worry. I'll take you to see the goddess you've so desired for! And, then I'll teach them a lesson for you!"

"Ah?!" the woman snapped as she smacked her whip on her red glove palms, "Just take her to hell already! She's a criminal and this is exactly what her judgement should be."

She got up and grumbled with her whip high in the air as the grumbled turned to a big smile, "Move aside! I need her to be awake to receive her punishment or it'd be pointless."

"As if!"

Suddenly, the whip vanished as it soon reappeared in the hands of the bag head boy who said, "Rachel wants me to kill her just like she wanted. It's a promise, after all! Right, Rachel?!"

However, the girl was unable to reply as she watched them argue. Slowly, she struggled before she could sit up in confusion. She'd been tied up. She sat up with the help of the doctor as the three crowded around her. Sure enough, the morning sun had sunk in as the night faded away. However, before they could come close to her, she heard the sounds of bells as Eddie stomped his feet in anger, "Again?!"

"I'll take care of this one. Hmph!" Cathy said with a smirk as she turned her back to them, "I have some judgement to pass onto them. In the mean time, you guys keep your grubby hands off her! She's mine to kill…"

As she walked away, Eddie shouted, "I'm going too! I'll take care of them this time!"

It was then that the doctor released Rachel and got up, "Oh no, you don't. I'll take care of that. Just take care of the corpse after we're done, got it? That's what you're best at, after all. Also, those guys don't seem to be fools, so just wait here and watch over Rachel. I need to teach them a lesson, so they know how to treat patients correctly."

He looked back with a grin, "Ray, just wait for me quietly here, okay? Doctor Danny will be back very soon!"

As the two vanished, the boy slumped back down and grumbled, "Seriously? I still have a bone to pick with them for stealing Ray, though. Now the doctor gets to show off too…"

After saying this, Rachel was quiet as she knelt on the ground quietly. The boy looked to her and said, "Hey, Ray. How about the two of us go somewhere and we leave the losers be? I'll show you somewhere really nice! It'll be your next grave! The grave desecrator may have destroyed the one I made for you, but you don't have to worry about this one. I'll make sure nobody destroys it like before! I promise! By god if I have to!"

However, Rachel was quiet as she searched for the rose, but she was unable to find it. Finally giving up, she sat still awaiting for Zack to come save her. She knew that he was coming. He has to! However, hours passed before the boy called out to her, "Hey!"

She looked up in surprise as he fished out a small pack of tea bags and handed it to her.

"I don't know how to make tea." He said with a small smile peeking out from that mask of his followed by his green eyes, "Can you show me how to make it?"

She looked to him in confusion before she obediently followed his wishes. There was already a pot hanging over a stove with bits of mushrooms and herbs laid out on leaves around the fire. They must've had it going since the night before. Quietly with a walking stick in hand, she managed to take the black kettle and walked over to the stream. She watched the little fishes the swam in the water and grew curious before she heard his voice startled her, "Oh, so that's what's taking you so long! They're cute, right?"

She thought for a bit before she nodded quietly making the boy leap back to his spot. As she returned with the kettle, she began boiling it over the fire. After it sounded, she hurriedly took it off the fire and took out a bamboo cup from her bag. It was simple since she just took an extra bottle but cut off the top. She placed the tea bag in and added the water.

"So what do we do now?" the boy asked.

"Wait." She replied quietly, "For a couple minutes."

"Oh…" the boy said with a knowing nod, "So, that's how it is. It really was that easy, after all!"

She looked at him in confusion as he sat down next to her and asked, "So, about the grave, what do you want on it?"

She thought for a bit before she remembered the floor and answered, "I… don't know…"

She waited and waited. She wanted to get out of here already and return to Zack's side. After a while, the boy asked hurriedly, "I-I-Is it done now?"

She nodded quietly. Finally, he nervously took the tea in his hands and sipped it. He smiled, "You know, this feels rather nice. Maybe, we can do this in the future before I kill you too! What do you think, Ray?"

She shook her head, "Only Zack can kill me."

Hearing this, the boy frowned and turned to her, "But, that guy doesn't know how to treat you well!"

"It doesn't matter." She replied after some thoughts, "Zack and I swore an oath-"

"Then, I'll take it and make it ours!" He replied desperately.

She frowned, "A vow between me and Zack can't be taken away. It's a promise Zack and I made so only we can carry the burden of the vow. The vow can never be stolen by you or anyone else."

Eddie frowned and said with a grimace, "But it'll hurt a lot too if he kills you! If you choose me, I'll give you a painless death! I know how to treat you better than him! He's nothing but an idiot who doesn't care about how you feel! I love you, Rachel! So, please choose me!"

Quietly, she answered, "Eddie…"

She thought for a bit with feigned hesitation before she finally continued in front of his presence, "You… are not the one who will kill me."

"But-!"

"You heard her!"

They looked up in surprise as Rachel's eyes widen in surprise, however, it turned sullen when she saw that it was just Shigezane.

"Hey! Come on now! Don't give me that look!" the boy groaned, "The three of us worked hard to get here, you know!"

Saying this, Masamune and Kojuurou rushed up after him as they saw the boy with the sack mask. Eddie groaned as he shook his head in dismay, "Those guys actually messed up, didn't they?!"

He chugged the rest of the tea before getting up and turned to her with a bright smile, "Don't worry about a thing! I'll be back before you know it!"

He picked up his shovel and walked closer to them, "I got a bone to pick with them after taking you away from me. Too bad that orange hair guy isn't here, though."

As they got ready, she could see that scrapes and torn clothing from their previous battle. Clearly, they won't be able to fight against. Shigezane continued, "Also, I can't believe that you'd still kill her even when you actually confessed. I've never seen a worse confession before!"

"You've never seen one that's why." Kojuurou replied with a sigh, "Also, you're still held accountable to allowing Ray to be kidnapped."

"What?!" Shigezane grimaced before he sighed, "I guess there's really nothing I can do about that… Damn it!"

"Who are you?" Masamune called out firmly.

"Edward Mason!" he called out proudly with the shovel on his shoulder, "But everyone calls me Eddie. Remember that! Heh! I'll tell you now. Your graves will be nothing but plain boulders when I'm done with you."

"Oh hey!" Shigezane grinned, "Does that mean we're that strong?"

"Shut up and take this seriously, you mutt!" the boy snapped at him as sweat poured from his forehead.

"Shigezane…" Kojuurou called out to him.

"What? Can't take it like a man?" Shigezane continued with a smirk.

"Why you… Die-!"

Suddenly, the sack boy crumbled to the ground in confusion as he muttered in bewilderment catching for his breath, "Wh-What's… Happening… Can…'t bre…ath…"

Finally, he collapsed to the ground and soon his chest stopped moving.

"Wh-What just happened?" Shigezane asked in confusion.

Masamune, however, glanced over to the tea pot and then to her before he asked, "What poison did you use?"

The two looked to her in surprise after hearing his words. She turned to them and responded slowly, "Japanese Yew leaves…"

"Yew leaves?!" Kojuurou's eyes widen in shock as she said this before looking to the dead body with a frown, "I see… A shortage off breath and sweat. Shigezane also managed to anger him too..."

He put away his sword and took the kettle off before removing the lid. Sure enough, inside was stocked full of boiled Yew leaves. He narrowed his eyes before turning to her, "Where did you acquire these?"

"When I was moving from Toyotomi territory to Sanada Territory…" She answered.

"Did you know what it was?" He asked her cautiously.

She nodded silently. It was then that the Raven landed on her shoulder and cawed with a puff chest.

"Does the other territories know?" Masamune asked.

She thought for a bit before she answered, "I don't think so."

"You don't think so?" he raised a brow.

She thought for a bit before closing her sapphire eyes and opening it again, "I saw a wisteria flower and tried to pick it, but Masanobu told me not to pick things that I'm not familiar with. But, I was more familiar with the Yew plant than the wisteria. And…"

She looked to him as she continued, "I was worried that it would be difficult after beating Doctor Danny and Cathy…"

"Why did you kill him?" He asked.

"I don't want him to kill me." She replied, "Not before Zack can."

Her dead eyes brought a shudder to the younger of the three as Masamune was quiet before he ordered, "We're returning to the castle."

* * *

She nodded quietly before following them out of the woods. When they got back to the castle, the body was examined before burnt to ashes as ordered by Masamune. She had never known that he was the Supreme commander of the Date army. She had wondered for a while if it was him though. After all, they all took orders from him without much complaints. That, afternoon, Shigezane stopped by with the books. Masamune decided that they would teach her their writing after so long. According to Shigezane, his brother had told him that it was only obvious and that he didn't want her to be illiterate in their language. So, she sat before a desk as Shigezane handed her a book on myths. She looked to him in confusion as he shrugged, "It's easy."

She nodded and the lesson began. After figuring out bits of the words, she quickly learned of the history of this place. Apparently, the humans caused a lot of trouble in these lands for years before the princess called Himemiko came from the moon to bring an end to the war with the help of the Gekka tribe. She stared at the person as the Raven cawed. As if understanding the bird, she shook her head, "She's really pretty…"

Shigezane grinned, "I know, right? Apparently, this drawing is the closest to the actual image. Cool, right?"

She wasn't certain about that. After all, if they had just corrected the face, then maybe. Still, she nodded stoicly as she asked, "Why did the humans fought for the land?"

Shigezane raised a brow and thought long and hard before he answered, "Hm… I believe it's because they needed a place to call home, but they kept fighting over the lands over it. It's hard to explain. You'll just have to ask Kojuurou later."

She nodded quietly, "Then, why did she disappear?"

"I don't know." The werewolf shrugged with a sigh, "We're all looking for the answer right now too, you know. So, you're not the only one wondering about that. It's been years and nobody has even a clue as to where she is. But, you know, it's been strange too. After the princess vanished, the Yakumas appeared. Even after we figured out where the nest was and wiped it off the map, they still came back a few weeks later. Then, after that, you arrived and we're now dealing with creatures we've never seen before. It's really unusual."

Rachel raised a brow, "I see…"

After continuing the lesson, Shigezane was surprised and excited to see the child recite the book word for word with ease after one try. Though he hurriedly rushed to his brother, the man seemed unamused as the boy grinned wide. Seeing the commotion, Kojuurou came to examine the situation before handing her some more scrolls and books. There, she began to study into the night before waking up the next day and saw that it was morning. There was a blanket over her shoulder and the Raven on her lap. After that event, the bird had barely ever left her side. In fact, she heard that the bird was the one who led them to her. It was then that she heard a knock on her door and a familiar voice that shouted, "Morning! Are you up yet?"

"Shigezane." Kojuurou scolded, "You do realize that she was up all night reading?"

"Seriously?!"

She got up and opened the door, "Good morning…"

"O-oh, Morning…" Kojuurou said with surprise.

She nodded and gave a small bow, "Thank you for the books…"

"You're welcome." He replied.

She turned to him and remembered something, "Oh… there was actually something that I don't understand…"

"Oh?" the tall man raised a brow.

"It said something about if the Gekka tribe drinks the princess's blood." She asked with a blank look, "What does that mean? Do you really drink her blood like vampires?"

They raised a brow and Kojuurou nodded, "Vampires are part of the Gekka tribe too. The generals of the Toyotomi army and the Oda army are all vampires. Don't tell me you didn't know that."

"Then…" She wondered aloud, "Hideyoshi and Hanbee are both vampires? Do they really take in blood daily? Or…?"

Shigezane raised a brow, "It can't be… You actually don't know about the Gekka tribe?"

"Where I came from werewolves and vampires were only stories." She replied, "We were taught that they weren't real. But, Yukimura and the others are werewolves, but they don't turn into wolves on the full moon?"

Finally, Shigezane couldn't help but laugh, "What are you saying? Of course, we can't turn into wolves! Haha!"

Kojuurou nodded, "Also, vampires don't drink blood on a daily basis. Is that how Toyotomi's army did it?"

She thought for a bit as she recalled having a meal next to the supreme commander and shook her head, "He ate actual food too…"

"That's right." Kojuurou replied, "If we were to drink blood as if we lived on it, then there's no possibility for us to be able to protect everyone who is human. We only drink blood during an emergency."

"An emergency?" She looked to them in confusion.

"If we were severely injured or fatigued, we can drink some blood and that would heal us a bit. It would also make us stronger too." He answered, "However, the Himemiko's blood is different. Her blood is said to be different than the humans and can restore our health more than human's. Also, it can gift us a lot more power than human's. But we do control how much we take. Otherwise, we'd lose them to blood loss and that's not our goal here."

Shigezane nodded, "We're suppose to be helping people after all."

"And bring peace to these land."

They turned and saw Masamune walk out of the corner as he looked to them with a frown, "The only way to do that is to unify the land under one rule. Since her disappearance, everything fell apart and the yakuma appeared soon after that. In the end, land has been divided into seven different territories."

She looked to him as she said, "Then, that's why there's a war going on?"

He nodded, "Ah. At the moment, there's also only one individual with blood that has similar powers as Himemiko and that's Yuzuki."

"Yuzuki…" She whispered quietly as the image off the girl returned to her mind.

Kojuurou nodded, "I believe you've met her once. At the moment, she's with the Toyotomi army."

Shigezane sighed, "It'd be great if we can see her again, though. The last time she was here, we had a picnic outside. Oh speaking of which, are we taking Ray outside today?"

Ray thought for a bit before he nodded, "We can't leave her here."

As they walked off, Shigezane pushed her out of her room, "Okay! We're going falconry, then!"

"Falcon…ry?" She pondered aloud in confusion.

Masamune stopped and turned to her, "You're to stay with Shigezane by the river."

"What?!" the younger brother groaned.

Kojuurou sighed, "It can't be helped since it probably won't be good for her to go falconry with us yet. However, you can teach her to fish, right?"

Shigezane sighed and nodded, "Got it…"

* * *

**YueTian: Hey guys! I'm back! I hope the Spring break is going well for everyone! I was hoping not to do the same as the show, but it ended up being somewhat of that way. I wondered when Ray would start pulling that poison trick and to be honest, I thought she'd be pulling it during the time when Eddie kidnapped her from the castle in Sanada territory. Too bad that didn't happen. But, this means that Eddie might give up on her, right? Or is he just even more angry now than before? I'm not certain how to proceed the plot now, but I'll figure something out.**

* * *

**_3/26/2019 3:27 PM_**


	5. Chapter 5: Appearance of Monsters

Appearance of Monsters

That day, she wondered aloud, "So, when are you going to continue to interrogate me?"

Kojuurou turned to her before Masamune said, "I've put that aside for now."

"Oh." She said in confusion.

These people were harder to read than everyone else Rachel has met. Just like that Hideyoshi person. The horses they rode was all brown which somewhat disappointed her, but it was better than walking sometimes. Not long after they got to the field, Shigezane wanted to lead her to the river, when Masamune said with a frown, "Kojuurou, you accompany her. Shigezane will stay here."

"Huh?" the boy scratched his head in confusion before he nodded, "Well, whatever you say."

Leaving her with the tall man, the two then left for the river. It wasn't too far and the man chose a spot for them to fish under. Seeing that she's never fished before, he taught her a lot of things, like how to tie the fish line to the hook and how far to throw the line. Unfortunately, she nearly threw the box of lunch out after the hook got caught onto the handle. If Kojuurou had not caught onto that in time, they would've lost their lunch completely. As she sat the stick in the dirt and wait, Kojuurou asked, "You said that your home talked about werewolves and vampires as make-believe story, Ray. Can you tell me how did the stories go?"

She thought for a bit with closed eyes before she slowly opened them, "People say that they were bad or that werewolves and Vampires are natural enemies. Werewolves can be human in the daylight and turn into half human and half wolves at night during the full moon. Vampires can't stand the light from the sun and it could kill them. There's also the cross, garlic and silver or a wooden stake. They don't really like them…"

"I can see that…" Kojuurou replied slightly unsettled before looking for her in confusion, "But, you don't seem afraid of us."

"You don't look like werewolves in the books." She replied, "They're a lot scarier in the books. And, you said that you were helping people. The books only talked about them killing people or sucking their blood dry, but you don't do that."

"Do you know if Yuzuki came from the same place with the same ideas?" He asked curiously.

She looked to him in confusion before she nodded, "We do. But, many people have different ideas. Yuzuki seems nice, so I don't think she thinks you're all bad. She really cares about people too… Even me…"

"I see…" He nodded quietly with a small smile.

After that, she saw his ears perk up and reached over to his line. It was then that she saw him pull out a large fish from the river. He then placed it into a bucket of water before throwing the line back out again. Upon returning, he sat back down and nodded, "So, do you want to go back home?"

She thought for a bit before she answered, "If that's where Zack is."

"You seem to really like this Zack person." He said with a raised brow, "What kind of person is he?"

"He…" She thought for a bit before she continued, "has a short temper and is violent. He also has a foul mouth."

Suddenly, the bird cawed loudly as she continued, "But, he very strong and is blunt with his words. He hates liars and would never lie. And will keep to his promises. That's why I know he will keep to his promise even if he doesn't fulfill it yet. He's also very determined when he's decided to do something."

As the bird quiet down, so does Kojuurou's brow lowered, but he continued, "But, you said that he's an angel, so hasn't he also…"

She nodded, "But, so have I. So, there's really no difference."

"What-!" Kojuurou looked to her with wide eyes but she suddenly took her crutch and got up.

Seeing her struggle with the stick, he got up as well and helped her reel it in revealing a large carp as well. He took it off the line and handed the stick back to her before she swing the line back out with his support. As he placed the fish into the bucket as well, she watched the fish flail around before Kojuurou raised a brow and helped her seated back on the ground away from the bucket. As she did so, Kojuurou said with a smile, "You know. Though we also aren't a big believer in god, we always make a short prayer to them before every meal."

She looked to him in confusion before she nodded, "I used to do that too."

He looked to her in surprise as she clasped her hands together and said, "We used to make silent prayers like this very day before every meal, but we stopped doing that eventually. So, I haven't did it either."

Kojuurou nodded, "It's a custom here to clap your hands together and say our thanks for the food before every meals and we say our thanks again to those who cooked it and served it after the meals. I've never seen you do that before so I wondered."

"Oh." She said quietly, "How do you do that?"

"I can show you later when we have lunch." He replied with a smile gesturing to the lunch box, "It seems Masamune-sama went out of his way to cook lunch for us again. Last time Yuzuki was here, she had some and liked it too."

She looked to him in confusion, "Yuzuki came here even when the Toyotomi wasn't allied with Date?"

"There was some circumstances that led to her being here." He said with a forced smile, "But, after that, she was taken by the Oda before Toyotomi's army got her back."

As he said this, he turned to her and said, "However, just because you and Yuzuki came from the same place, we don't believe that you have the same type of blood as her. So, be careful when you're around other people who might want your blood. We'd probably had to have Yuzuki's consent for her blood, but there might be those who won't ask for consent and forcefully take it. When that happens, just run as fast as you can. We're stronger than humans, but running in that position in probably your best option here."

She nodded quietly. Seeing this, he continued, "Also, there's another army you should be wary of."

She looked to him as he continued, "The Mouri army."

"The Mouri…" She said quietly.

He nodded, "In the past, they were known to be the most powerful army in history. Though, their numbers are probably smaller now, none of the other armies dare test to see if they are still as strong as they were during Himemiko's time."

"Are they also Vampires or werewolves?" she asked.

He shook his head, "They're Onis."

"Onis…" She looked to him in confusion, "Those scary being with sharp teeth, a horn, and a club in hand?"

Hearig this, Kojuurou stared at her in bewilderment before he laughed aloud, "Haha… No. I don't believe that is true or it would be very unusual for them to have been so powerful. However, I do know that they do have horns. Just, nobody have ever seen them in years now. For unknown reasons, they became neutral to our battles and the other armies chose not to bother them. If they did, they'd be annihilated no doubt…"

He turned to her with a chuckle, "Your homeland has the strangest imagination when it comes to the Gekka Tribe."

She watched him before she raised a brow and said, "Nobody has ever seen a werewolf or heard about the Gekka Tribe before, so we just use imagination. They weren't too good in the end. Perhaps, they were lies too…"

"There are certain places humans can not tread through, correct? That must be why those stories were created. To warn others not to go near them."

She looked up and saw that it was Masamune and Shigezane. On his arm perched a tough brown falcon as it stared back at her and the Raven. As if challenging it, the Raven cawed at it in a fit. Masamune patted her head as she saw his eyes narrow, "It's just unfortunate that your land used the appearances of the Gekka Tribe people in such manner for these matters."

She watched him cautiously as he asked, "Are you scared of the Gekka Tribe?"

She looked to him in confusion and shook her head, "You all look much more human than the stories…"

"Is that so?" He said slowly before patting her head again.

She watched as he walked away before stopping and turning to them, "It's time for lunch…"

In the end, they only caught five fishes. As she sat around on the large cloth, she fed pieces of her bread to the Raven next to her before having some of the food herself. It really was delicious. It wasn't anything as fancy, but it was good… Like the old man's cooking…

They had watched her intently after Kojuurou had taught her about proper mannerisms during meals. According to her, an elderly man, who took them in, was seen doing the same every time before a meal and watched as she ate. She made no response as she ate While Masamune did the same, but the other two just watched her quietly as she took some of the food onto her plate carefully with the chopsticks. Guess she wasn't really as expressive, after all.

* * *

That night, Kojuurou came by and taught Rachel how to write some of the words she saw on the books. When he finished, she had very little problems rewriting all of what she read about the history of Shinga. When she was done, he looked to her and raised a brow, "Have you ever had any problems during your education before? You're excelling in learning our language fairly quick. I suppose it also helps that our language is the same when spoken."

She shook her head, "One of my teachers said that I have a really good memory…"

"Ah. So that's it." He nodded, "Then, that'd explain some of the things. Do you still remember the book of herbs that I gave you?"

She nodded, "It was the medicinal one."

He nodded again, "Can you recite for me?"

She nodded back once more before starting from page one as he opened the book and looked on. When she was done, he looked to her with a nod, "In your lands, what were you learning? Since your guardians lost sight in the end, it mustn't have been too much after that."

"We had school." She said, "It was free up to the twelve- or thirteen-years students went there, but, according to the government, we must attend school there before working. I stopped after the fifth year though and went to the library to borrow books on occassions. Mother didn't want to leave the house and I was told not to go to school after."

"Why's that?" He asked with a raised brow, "You look like you'd do really well in school."

"I don't know." She replied after some thought.

He thought for a bit before he nodded, "What about subjects? Arithmetic, Literature, Calligraphy, Geography?"

He looked up when he saw that she wasn't responding and noticed her writing her name in Shinga's writing system. He patted her shoulder and saw that it had caught her attention.

"What about subjects?" He asked again.

"I learned Mathematic, literature, Reading Comprehension, History, Geography, and Science. They're the requirements in school."

He looked to her with an expression she couldn't quite read before he nodded, "So, when did you learn about poisons?"

"It was after I dropped out of school." She answered, "There was a book about poisonous plants. I also read some mystery novels and tested out a few mechanisms from the books, but some of them didn't follow with the story's sequence."

Kojuurou managed a smile as he heard this. Finally, looking at her progress, he thought for a bit before he asked, "Ray, what is your level of education now?"

She was quiet before he answered, "I don't know. I've been homeschooling myself with the books from the public library."

He was quiet for a while longer. Finally, he got up and said, "Wait here. I'll be right back."

She watched in leave curiously before turning back to the Raven.

Hours passed before he finally returned with some papers. He then handed them to her, "Can you try answering these?"

She took them and nodded. She worked on them for a while before she handed them back to him. A few mathematic questions and chemical ones. It was somethings that she learned about back when she was learning from the public library. Handing it to him, he looked through it as she watched his expression. There was barely any change before he turned to her with a nod. He nodded, "It seems that you do know them and they coincide with Shinga's education…"

He held a long silence looking back to the paper before he sighed. After more silence, he said with a frown, "I'll go get some more books for you then. But, it'll take a while…"

She nodded as she remained in her seat. Her leg was doing better now. Ever since she received a crutch, she learned how to walk on her own rather than have others pick her up. Even now, the people of these lands are slightly confusing to her. She watched the raven quietly as it bundled itself up silently. As this continued, she watched silently as if in a blank stare. It wasn't till the door slid open that she looked up and saw him return with some books and scrolls in hand. He then proceeded to teach her some of the vocabulary and she absorbed it like a sponge.

The next day, she awoke to the sound of rattles.

"Hey, Ray! Are you awake? It's time for breakfast!"

It as Shigezne. She looked about her room in confusion before taking her bag and crutch and leaving the room. Once out, Kojuurou changed her bandages again before turning to them, "There. I'll be on a mission and won't be back for a while. So, just stay here with everyone."

She looked to him in confusion as he patted her head, "For now, how about you stay in the garden with Shigezane. Though you're good at studying, it's not good to always stay indoors."

She nodded solemnly, "I understand…"

She watched as the man left through the gates. After he was gone, Shigezane pulled out his wooden blade and sighed. Quietly, he stood away from her before practicing his swings with the sword. She looked around the place with a bored expression before she came upon the sight of a small monkey on one of the gates. She looked at it curiously as it stared back at her. As she watched it, a shout was heard as she turned and saw Shigezane pointing at it with his blade. His jaw nearly dropped as he said in surprise, "What is a monkey doing here?!"

Suddenly, the monkey took off on the other side of the walls.

"Forget it."

They turned around and saw that it was Masamune who was staring intently on the scene.

"They're coming back for her." He said.

"Seriously?!" Shigezane frowned, "But Kojuurou is still out!"

"He went to scout the borders." He said firmly.

The Supreme Commander looked to her cast as he said, "They won't get far with her like this. We'll let them know that she's in our hands, then."

As she watched them in confusion, she watched as he gave his younger brother an order. The brother quickly rushed off exchanging his wooden weapon for his actual one. Suddenly, the Raven that sat on a bush flew off into the distance.

"Ah!"

Though, she reached out, she was unable to reach it thanks to her broken leg.

* * *

She was locked in her room as she quietly thought of the Raven. It was a nice Raven and it seemed to really like her too. With her being unable to see the garden again since the notice of people coming for her again, she didn't know what to do anymore. No matter how much she read. There was barely any moments when she could come into contact with Masamune or Shigezane. It was starting to become very much like that of her parents. However, they didn't ignore her. Shigezane was quiet and listened well to her words while Masamune answered her questions with explanations. What she was and wasn't allowed to do while why it was like this. They were surprisingly patient with her. It saddened her when they would tell her that they have work to do though and that it's important if they want to protect her and the people. It made her wonder why they'd go so far for the people and, when he asked the Supreme Commander, he said to her solemnly, "It's our job to protect them because they can't protect themselves."

She thought for a bit and wondered aloud, "Like… those farmers in Sanada Territory?"

Her words seemed to surprise him as he nodded, "When we conquer land, the people are usually left unharmed. However, the laws they follow could change as well as where the tax goes to. Unless they commit a crime, they are protected by us."

She thought for a bit before she nodded, "I see."

He patted her head before leaving her in her room. She watched as he closed the door before returning to her bag. Taking out some of the extra papers from when Kojuurou was here, she took the brush from the desk and began writing on the paper carefully. Ever since the last lesson with them, she had began creating a small journal of the events that had occurred in these lands. She felt a strong need to do so since she's never experienced all these strange places before. Days went by with Masamune and Shigezane all being absent from the castle and that she slowly regained proper use of her leg. Servants would come by and place food in her room. Since they usually leave without interacting with her, she was quiet as well. In time, she heard one of the servants whispering something about a child with a curse. Was someone cursed? However, over time she learned that the one who they were referring to was her and she wondered if it was because of her so called lack of empathy that she heard about. She had recalled hearing the three talk about it once when she was still in the shed. One day, she wondered if something happened to them and wanted to poke a hole through the paper walls to see. It was still day, yet they never returned. She didn't know why but she was agitated. It was only after the last servant came to pick up the tray that she realized they had left the door opened. Curious, she looked around the empty halls before taking a step out. She then looked about while walking through the empty halls. Finally, when she reached the gardens, she realized that there was hardly any people around. It was all silent as she watched the birds and butterflies pass by. Confused, she looked to where the monkey once was. The place was quiet and hardly anything passed by her sight. Yet, the spot had a lingering feeling to it. As if the monkey would return to the spot it was in days ago. It was then that she felt something touch her shoulder and she turned around. However, what met her wasn't one of the servants.

"A hand…" She said in surprise and jumped back finally seeing the entire picture.

It was one of those pale creatures! From its mouth dangled an arm that dripped with blood. She watched the creature in surprise before it lunged at her having dropped the arm. Shocked, she barely managed to slip past the dangling white limbs as she rushed out to the gates. She knew that she wasn't suppose to be leaving the castle, but that mattered little to her now. Instead, she pushed open the gates and ran out. The town was still a little further as she recalled her last trip to the falconry with the three. Instead she made her way onto the path with the woods. She rushed through without looking back as she could hear the white figure crushing wood in its path behind her. She was starting to reach out of breath and worried she looked about in confusion before coming upon a cliff. Quickly, she turned the corner and ran faster till she worried that her feet would slip on the sand and gravel. Just as that occurred, she indeed slipped and fell down from the cliff into a ravine.

* * *

That night was cold. Chasing after these creatures, they soon came upon the bottom of a small ravine. Knowing well that they were no longer in their own territory, they still pressed onward prepared to meet a pack of them. As they made their way to the center of the Ravine. The scouts led by one general returned. it was a man with long purple hair and pale yellow and white uniform. The man said looking to the man with the silver hair and white uniform, "It seems Date forces are rushing back to this ravine, Kenshin-sama."

The man with the werewolf ears nodded in response, "Then, we're pulling bac-!"

It was then that something white flashed next to his face before fluttering afar.

Startled, a man with light brown hair and dark blue uniform widen his eyes, "Kenshin-sama!"

Upon seeing they were all right, they looked back and saw a white bird with the long twin tails. The man with the purple hair raised a brow, "A bird?"

The bird with the long twin tails and red eyes turned to them before flapping its wings and chirping under the light of the moon. Suddenly, it took off in the air again before swiping past them as if trying to warn them of something, but it soon landed afar with something on its pale yellow beak….

"Isn't that…" the purple hair werewolf raised a brow, "Kageie, isn't that your Ashi?"

"What?" the brown hair man raised a brow, "That can't be-! What?!"

Despite his words, he checked the sword hanging on his belt and saw that one of the two hangers, that keeps the sword attached to the belt, was missing. With wide eyes, he quickly hopped off his horse and rushed after the bird as Kenshin called, "Ka-"

Suddenly, the bird took off after dropping the hanger, or Ashi, leaving it to the man to pick up but froze in place before turning to them with wide eyes, "Kenshin-sama! There's a little girl over here!"

"What?!"

The other two rushed over quickly and saw that it was a small girl with long blond hair and unusual clothing. Kageie raised a brow as he rubbed his chin, "She looks a little familiar, though…"

"That's her, Kenshin-sama." The purple hair werewolf responded with a frown, "That's the child I told you about."

"Ah! That's right!" Kageie said with wide eyes, "Hm? But, did she fled into Sanada territory?"

Suddenly, there was the sound of something broken in the distance as Kenshin looked up and called out, "Kagemochi, Kageie, we're returning! Grab the child."

The two nodded as Kagemochi quickly scooped the child up and returned to his steed. The group quickly rode out of the ravine and back into the forest. As they left, they could hear the sound of rocks being crushed behind them, but neither looked back.

"Zack…"

Kagemochi looked down to the child only to see her cough. He raised a brow and touched her head as he said, "A fever?"

* * *

When she awoke, she felt damp with sweat as she was greeted by the wooden ceiling. She felt heaviness and a pain in her head as she slowly sat up. Her throat was itchy and her shoulder stung. It was then that she felt a hand on her shoulder that she looked up and saw that it was an elderly man who looked to her with a frown, "Lie back down, girl. You've got a fever…"

Slowly, she nodded and laid back down. As sleep consumed her, she awoke again. This time, she found it harder to breath and the itch in her throat was replaced with pain. The pain in her head grew as she tried to look around. Only to cough painfully. It hurts. It hurts a lot…

She struggled to get up only to fall back down as she felt a hand grabbed a hold of her. She struggled to look up, but her eyes stung and her head felt like a painful mush. She then saw a hand reach out before her and touched her forehead. It was cool and felt comforting on her forehead. It was then that she felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up in surprise only for the pain to intensify. She grimaced and brought her head back down. Words mumbled in her ears before she opened her eyes again and found herself relieved of the pain. She then saw the concerned look of a familiar man with wolf ears followed by another man with pale blond hair with red on the end. The pale blue werewolf said hesitantly, "H-How are you feeling? Do you still feel dizzy?"

She looked to them before slowly reply, "No…"

She then slowly got up as she saw that she was in a different room, but it was similar to that of the other castles. Suddenly, her head stung a bit as she grimaced. The man with the pale blond hair and dark uniform grabbed a hold of her shoulder as he said, "Careful. You only just gotten better."

However, she only slowly nodded back. The man looked to her with a sigh. She looked about before she saw her bag sitting next to her. She looked about in confusion as the man with the pale blond hair said with a grumble, "Great. She's awake now…"

Ignoring him, the blue hair man turned to her, "What's your name?"

She thought for a bit before she replied, "Rachel… Gardner…"

"Raychel…" He managed.

"Ray…" she simplified, "Some just call me Ray…"

He nodded.

"I'll let the others know." The pale blue hair man said as he got up and looked to her, "I'll be right back."

She watched as he pushed open the door and left the room. As he did this, she noticed the bandage on her arm as she touched it.

"Hey, don't play with that." The man warned with a frowned.

She nodded quietly and slowly.

"What… happened?" she asked slowly.

"Why would I know?!" the man shouted with a frown as he glared at her, "You were there at the ravine when Kenshin-sama and the others found you!"

"Ra…vine…" She repeated quietly, "Ah."

"More importantly, do you remember us at all?" the man grumbled with a frown.

She thought for a bit with closed eyes and nodded, "The attack…"

"Good. I have a lot of questions to ask you." He said with a glare.

However, to his surprise, she wasn't intimidated. It was then that she saw the door open again as the man returned with two other familiar people and one man with silver hair and white uniform. She felt that the man was a little different from the others as the purple hair man said with a small smile, "So, she's awake."

She looked about in confusion before the man with the silver hair asked, "Why were you in Date territory, girl."

Hearing this, she thought for a bit and replied, "I was taken from Sanada Territory during a battle by the people from the Date army... I was there for a little over a month."

"Then, why were you alone when we found you?" the purple hair man asked.

"Some monsters appeared in the castle." She answered, "Everyone was out to do something a few days ago and don't return to the castle as often anymore. One of the servants left the door opened and I walked out to the garden, but nobody were there. A monster appeared and I ran out of the castle."

"A monster appeared on the castle ground?" the brown hair man said in surprise, "Could they have just left her there?"

"They said that they were going to be gone for a while…" She replied quietly.

"What about the servants?" the blue hair man asked, "They must've been servants there. How would they disappear?"

"I think they were eaten…" She answered slowly, "That monster had an arm sticking out of its mouth."

There was a moment of silence before the purple hair man summarized, "So, that would mean that, while we were distracting the Date army, they left her in the castle with the servants and guards. With their agility and stealth, it shouldn't be surprising that those things could enter the castle grounds. The Date army seems to lack numbers too. It would make it difficult if those things invaded the castle while their supreme commander and generals were away. The question is, why was her door open when all this happened? If she were to be a hostage, they'd be sure to lock her up."

"They locked me up in a shed for a while." She replied.

"For a while?" the blond hair raised a brow.

"I broke the bars on the window and broke my leg." She answered with a nod, "It was an accident… I wanted to know where I was…"

"And now you're sick." The blond hair man said with a sigh.

She nodded quietly.

After a while, the silver hair man asked again, "Do you know of Yuzuki, girl."

She nodded, "I met her once in Toyotomi territory. They wanted me to see her because we came from the same place."

"The same place?" the brown hair man raised a brow, "As in Uesugi territory?"

She frowned, "Yuzuki said that Hideyoshi found her in his territory…"

"Then, why did you appear here?" the blond hair man asked with a frown.

"I don't know." She answered.

Rachel watched as they held small discussion. Finally, she felt a knock on her head as she looked up and saw them staring at her as the silver hair man looked to her with a raised brow. The purple hair man frowned as he said, "Kenshin-sama allowed you to stay here for now, did you not hear?"

She looked to them in confusion before she nodded, "Thank… you…"

That night she was left in the room while a strange figure stood outside the door in a silhouette against the light of the moon. It was strange, but she could hardly sleep after that. She thought quietly of where Zack could be and, though she knew he was safe, the fact that she doesn't know of his whereabouts bothered her greatly. Instead, she stared at the ceiling with her eyes open for a while before trying to sleep with them closed, but, as usual, nothing worked. Finally, she heard the door open as she slowly sat up.

"Oh? So, you were awake?"

It was the purple werewolf. She nodded silently. He then took out a small bottle hesitantly before he placed it in front of her, "This was given to us by a foreigner who claimed that these were medicine. It was what we gave you when you were sick. Do you remember?"

She looked at the glass bottle as she read the label. She frowned, "This is… cold medicine… But, it's from where I came from…"

"Where did you come from?"

"Japan." She replied, "That's where I stayed, but the writing is from another country where I was born and raised. America."

"So you're a foreigner…" the werewolf said with a nod, "As I thought. Then, what were you doing here in our territory?"

"I was chased."

"Chased?" he raised a brow.

"America was no longer safe for me, so I moved to Japan. But, two years after, the authorities from America snuck into Japan to find me. A kind elderly man helped hide me from them. But, then, I woke up and found myself in a town attacked by the yakumas." She answered.

"Why did you run from us?" He asked.

She looked to him and answered, "I thought you were coming after me too…"

The man raised a brow, "Really?"

She nodded, "I thought that you were authorities in disguises and I didn't want to die yet."

"Why did the authorities came after you?"

"Because they want to take me away from Zack." She answered.

"Who is Zack?"

"A human who had taken lives from others."

This time, the man's eyes narrowed as he asked, "A murderer?"

She nodded. He frowned before he continued, "Why did you run with him?"

"We made an oath." She answered with a smile, "And, I believe in him."

There was a moment of silence before he asked, "What was the oath?"

"As long as I am helpful to him and don't have a boring face anymore, he would kill me." She replied.

The werewolf was unusual unfazed by this as he asked, "Why do you want him to kill you?"

"I want to be accepted."

"You want to be accepted?"

She nodded, "I want to be accepted in life and death."

"Did no one accept you before?" he asked.

She shook her head, "Zack was the first to accept me."

"Your parents? Friends?" He asked.

She frowned, "Father and Mother never listened to me after I turned ten and the other kids stayed away from me."

"Why?"

She shook her head silently. He thought for a bit before he asked again, "How old are you, Ray?"

"Sixteen."

"Sixteen… What of your family?"

"Don't have one." She replied much to his surprise.

"Don't have one?" he raised a brow, "Did this Zack fellow take them?"

She shook her head, "I did."

There was a long silence as the man narrowed his eyes, "Why?"

"Because he hurt mother and tried to hurt my puppy." She answered.

He thought for a bit before he nodded and sighed, "Then, the Sanada generals took you to Toyotomi Territory to see Yuzuki. Why did you stay there?"

"Saizo and Kamanosuke found me at the border and Takeda army was nearby. They took me in and brought me to Toyotomi Territory. After that, they had to send me to Sanada Territory."

"May I ask why?"

"I don't know…" She thought for a bit before she answered, "War? Or, maybe it has to do with that attack that occurred in Toyotomi territory."

"Who attacked you?"

"Doctor Danny."

"Who is he?"

"My former counseling doctor… or therapist."

After the bouncing of question, the werewolf raised a brow, "Do you have a medical condition?"

She thought for a bit before answering, "I witnessed the murder then I… acted unusual than most kids at the orphanage."

He thought for a bit before he answered, "Does this have to do with the way you're responding?"

She looked to him in confusion before he clarified himself, "Does this have to do with why you talk slowly?"

"I've always talked like this…" She replied, "Other people just talk and move faster than me…"

"Then, am I speaking fast?"

She nodded. He nodded too before tapping the bottle again, "Then, are you familiar with a man in a long black clothing and black hair?"

She thought for a bit before she nodded, "There's one, but he's dead now."

He raised a brow and asked, "Who is he?"

"A priest called Abraham…" She thought for a bit before she answered, "Actually, Doctor Danny was suppose to be dead too. They died together in the same place, but Doctor Danny is back, so maybe Abraham is alive now too?"

"Dead?"

"A burning building collapsed on them."

There was a moment of silence before the purple hair man nodded, "I see. Now, Ray. Is Zack here?"

She nodded, "I've been looking for him for a long time now, but nobody has seen him."

"Yet, you're sure he's here."

She nodded again, "In Sanada Territory, I received a message that said he was safe."

"Who's the sender."

"I don't know." She replied with a frown, "But, they know the same language as mine…"

He nodded, "Then, do you understand our language?"

She nodded, "The people in Date territory taught me 'Shinga's' writing system."

"Why?"

"It was a favor because they said one of them was being rude."

He nodded, "Then, one more question… Is the reason why you want to kill yourself related to your parents?"

She thought for a bit before she slowly nodded, "Because of what happened to them, I turned myself into an abomination to God…"

She saw the man's ears twitch as he asked, "An abomination?"

"For tainting god's creation, I became rejected by god. So, if Zack kills me, I could be accepted again." She replied.

The man thought for a bit before he nodded, "Could you be a religious believer?"

She thought for a bit before she answered, "I don't know…"

"Then, do you know why the Yakumas or the monsters are here?"

She shook her head again, "No…"

He was quiet for a while until he finally sighed, "All right. Let's stop here. We can continue this another time. Make sure you get some sleep, though."

She nodded slowly as she watched him got up and turned to leave, but stopped before the door.

"Ah, that's right…" He turned to her once more, "If you wanted to kill yourself, why not do it yourself?"

She shook her head, "Because, god said that it's bad?"

"God said?"

"The scriptures…" She clarified.

He thought for a bit before he nodded, "I see. Well, I'll be leaving now."

As he shut the door behind him, the man looked up to see Kageie and Kenshin waiting for him outside. He shook his head, "My apologies. This child… would take some time to interrogate, Kenshin-sama."

The man nodded quietly, "What of the contents of her bag."

"I disposed her bag of poisonous plants and uncovered her journal. What she said mostly coincides with the contents of the journal though it seems she must've started it in Date Territory." He replied, "I've also taken those little explosives under custody. However, there was one sleeve I was unable to open. It had a foreign lock placed on it."

"She's no little girl, that's for sure…" Kageie muttered.

However, the silver hair man quiet as he stared back at the room.

* * *

**YueTian: Hey, guys! I hope this was of great interest to you this time. Also, I apologize for the short Author's note, but I'm really tired and I really want to put this up. So, I'm going to see if I can edit more content of the note tomorrow morning. Sorry, guys, and I hope you like this new chapter! Good night! Also, I made a mistake in the previous chapter. I realized that Ray actually doesn't think that her 'god' is dead, just that her vow with Zack is only between her and him and god played no role in it. So, I'll go change that later on.**

* * *

_**3/28/2019 2:06 AM**_


	6. Chapter 6: Zack

Zack

It was a couple day after when Rachel woke up an found herself in the castle of Uesugi's territory. It was an uneventful place much like those back in Date territory after she arrived. Regardless, she wasn't allowed to leave the room and was usually left with nothing to do. Confused and worried, she wondered when she would be given the chance to leave the territory. Perhaps it was still a problem after seeing what has happened during the attack on the town. She was curious though. It seemed that the soldiers who passed by her rooms wore similar uniforms to their leader. Not only that, but they were always quiet when the tall brown hair werewolf stood guard. It wasn't till when he left following the purple werewolf that she heard whispers amongst the soldiers who passed by. It was the same as back in the Date Territory. She wondered why her hair and eyes was that unusual amongst humans. Quietly, she began to write in her journal with the brush and ink she was given by the light blue hair werewolf. During her stay, she was able to learn some names. The purple werewolf was called Kagemochi. The blue one was Kagekatsu. The blond one with the harsh words was called Kanetsugu and the brown hair one standing outside her door was Kageie. Their leader was the silver werewolf called Kenshin. The army here had a more serious and tense atmosphere than the other ally armies. She was confused at first wondering if this army wanted to test out her blood to see if it had the same powers, but Kagemochi had told her that they could smell out the difference with just their nose. It surprised her, but that soon came to pass. At least, she now knows that they could smell the difference in her blood with Yuzuki. Thinking of the woman caused her to worry after knowing now that her blood was so special. She was needed by everyone which was why they all continued to target her, but that didn't matter to Rachel because she was already needed by someone. Zack needed her, which was why she wanted to leave the castle and go search, but Kagemochi and Kageie said she wasn't allowed to do so nor that they've seen such a man with so many bandages around him. This caused her to worry a lot and she wrote about that in hopes of easing her worry. She had heard that, by writing out emotions, you can also lessen the affect it can have when you're feeling it. She wanted to know where he could be. If the monsters was also causing trouble for him as well. That wouldn't be possible, right? After all, Zack is Zack. A strong human being. What also worried her was the fact that Abraham was up and about. She wondered if he would join the others as well or go in search of Zack too. She didn't get it and the more she thought about the situation with Zack, the more restless she gets. Her nights were the same. Only resting her eyes till the break of dawn. She wondered when she would be allowed to go look for him. Occasionally, Kagekatsu and Kanetsugu would come by visiting her while, other times, it was Kagemochi with more questions. Now, however, they were just questions about her health in general. Each day was the same and she could only respond the same. It wasn't till she heard a thump outside her door one night that she saw Kageie asleep next to her door. She poked at him for a while before realizing that he was knocked out cold and wouldn't wake for a while. She contemplated her decision for a while before dragging out her blanket and draped it over him. She then walked back inside and closed the door behind her. Quietly, she lit the candle just as Kanetsugu taught her and began to read the books of novels she was given by Kagekatsu and Kagemochi. Though, she was still in confinement, Kenshin did not forbade her from reading novels and such. So, she tried her best to improve her literature of this land by reading a lot of books and scrolls. It was a quiet place for once. Probably because Kageie was outside. That thought made her wonder when she could return home with Zack. She hadn't gone to work in the convenience store in weeks now and wondered about how the elderly man was doing. What of her coworkers and the nice manager? The novel in her hand was a little difficult to understand, but she did her best to figure it out before putting it aside to ask the other generals later on. At least, that was all she wrote in her journal that night. She also wrote of the strange occurrence where her poison herbs had gone missing. It was unusual, but she shrugged it off. She also wrote of when Kagekatsu asked her once if she was ever worried about Zack's wellbeing. Well, Zack is pretty strong and he won't die without killing her, so she answered with a no, but that she really wants to be next to him again. One day, the topic changed as he and Kanetsugu asked her a new question.

"You said that you met Yuzuki in your hometown, right?"

She looked to Kagekatsu and nodded, "I don't remember her well, but it seems she talked with me before."

"Of course not." Kanetsugu grumbled, "More importantly, are you just gonna read all day again?"

She looked to the books of myths and novels before she answered. "I don't think I can leave my room without permission…"

"No, you can't." Kagekatsu nodded with a disappointed frown, "Father specifically told us that as well."

She nodded. She had wondered if the soldier before her and the leader were conncected by blood since their last names were the same. After all, their names were ordered differently than English. Their family name came first before their given. She had to explain to them that, since she came from a different place than Yuzuki, Rachel was her first name. Well, regardless, it was unusual to hear him ask her about her background since he usually helped her with the vocabulary of this world. As she read, Kagekatsu asked again, "So, what is your hometown like?"

She thought for a bit since she came from two different places, after all. She then turned to him and asked, "Which one? My birth place or the town I use to live in with Zack?"

"Your current one."

"There are many tall buildings in the cities while there are still the countryside outside of the city. At night the city is always lit bright and people still walk around at night. They're always busy." She answered thinking to Japan, "Children who go to school all wear uniforms. Each uniform is different according to the school. The adults are always in suits and working from morning to night. I heard that sometimes they're so busy they stay overnight working or stay there for the whole week. They streets are always crowded and a lot of things are run by machines now. They also have a law prohibiting illegal possession of weapons, so you needed to past tests or have a specific condition that allows people to have them."

"That's a lot…" Kagekatsu said with a look of awe before looking back to his sword, "So, then Yuzuki never saw a real sword till now?"

"I don't know…" She replied with a frown, "All the swords I've seen were fakes or just props. But, people can still practice swordsmanship in the dojo, I heard."

"Huh." Kanetsugu frowned, "So. Who can hold weapons now when no one can protect them?"

"Authorities can still hold onto them. It's just they control when they are used." Ray answered as she recalled the books, "Since, it harms people the weapons are heavily monitored. Hm…"

"What?" Kanetsugu raised a brow.

However, Ray just shook her head quietly. Seeing this, Kanetsugu looked annoyed and clicked his tongue before walking out the door. Kagekatsu looked to her with a small smile, "Is something bothering you?"

She thought for a bit looking to the door as he recalled the question.

"Then…" She slowly wondered aloud, "If the weapons were monitored, how can weapons be found so easily? Black Market? Auctions?"

Despite saying this aloud, she knew that there would be no answers.

Days like these went on after the cold was gone. But, that all changed when she heard her door open. It was time for her to answer questions again. So, she thought. Instead, she felt something grab her by the neck and swung her down. Slamming her head against the floor, she struggled for a bit before she saw something red across the floor. But, the strength was draining from her and slowly she slipped out of consciousness.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing amongst a bed of white flowers. Glowing white lilies she had never seen before. It illuminated the darkness around them as the sound of running water echoed in her ears. The sound of rustling caused her to look up as she saw a large tree. White flower bloomed amongst the dark leaves as the branches moved like a willow in the wind. It was cold, so very cold. Finally, she saw it. A woman in white resting on one of the large roots erupting for the earth. On her face wore an unusual, plain white mask and her hair was a beautiful black. She watched her curiously sitting on the roots as if it was her throne with her head tilted slightly against the root as if asleep. As if lost in control over the pretty sight, Rachel found herself reaching out to the woman before her eyes shifted to something under the roots.

"Zack!" She said quietly and rushed up to the man with a dark hood and wrapped in white bandages.

However, her feet won't move as the white figure began to stir. Instead, she saw a familiar figure in white walk past her wearing a mask over his face. Upon seeing him, she froze as she whispered, "Doctor Danny."

Doctor Danny wore a mask as he said with eyes of ectasy, "Ah. No matter how many times I come here, it's all so beautiful!"

Suddenly, he chuckled, "But, nothing could surpass the beauty of her empty gaze…"

With his army outstretched, he called out, "Oh, Rachel! If you were only here with me!"

As if settled, he grumbled, "But those monsters… I have to do something about them. They keep getting in the way…"

As she said all this, he turned around and walked past her without looking to her direction. It was then that an image of a woman with long black hair and in a long pink kimono appeared before her. She recognized the kimono as Ray looked to her in confusion.

"Rachel." The woman said with a soft smile, "Find the girl from your world and ask her to gather help. Head to a ravine where the borders touch. There you will find a way back."

Suddenly, the room turned into a ray of white as a strange shadow casted itself upon her. She looked up and saw pretty blue eyes with black spot and orange patterns. She watched silently as the figure turned around revealing two slender tails and it walked away.

* * *

When she awoke, she found herself on a futon with a piece of cloth over her head. Slowly, she sat up and saw that she was in her room, but her small desk and utensils were gone. Instead, there was Kagekatsu and Kanetsugu looking at her with wide eyes as the blue werewolf asked, "Are you okay? Does your head hurt?"

She thought for a bit and shook her head.

"Did something happen?" she asked.

"Are you kidding me?" the blond one said in shock, "You were attacked by a mad woman!"

"Ah…" Suddenly, she recalled the pain on her head and asked, "A woman?"

"That lady you call Cathy, I assume…"

As if on cue, Kagemochi and Kageie walked in through the open door as the purple werewolf said, "Do you remember what happened?"

She thought for a bit before she answered, "I was writing something then something grabbed my neck… After that everything was red…"

She looked to them as he nodded with a sigh, "At least, you're alive. Huh? Ray. Your hand."

She looked down to her hands that now rested on the blanket as it was stained red. Kagemochi immediately grabbed a hold of her hand and forced it open as something red fluttered out to the ground. Though she looked to it, she felt a painful squeeze on her hand as she looked up and saw that the skin was charred away leaving only the red tissues and the blood rising out from it. Shocked, Kageie rushed out and came back with bandages and medicine as Kagemochi inspected the wound with a frown, "A burn? But the candles are the only source of heat in the room to do such a thing. Huh?"

"Forget that!" Kageie called out to him, "We have to treat it!"

Soon enough, her hand was bandaged as she turned and saw Kagemochi look down and pick something up. He said with a raised brow, "A petal? But it's far too late for Spring…"

Suddenly, he flinched and dropped the thing as it drifted down on the tatami floor. Curious, she reached out and picked it up with her bandage hand.

"Wait!"

However, Kagemochi was too late as she picked it up. It was a large white petal stained in red. As she did, Kagemochi raised a brow, before putting on his white glove and grabbed a hold of the petal from her hand. He looked to her in confusion as he asked, "Ray, do you know what this is?"

They looked to her as she answered, "It's a petal… I saw it in my dream…"

"In your dream?" Kagekatsu raised a brow.

She nodded, "I saw two woman in a field of white flowers. They both had black hair, but one of the was sleeping and had a white dress. The other had really long black hair and a pink dress. She said to find Yuzuki and she needed to go to a ravine where the borders touch with help."

They looked to her in confusion before Kanetsugu groaned, "But this was all just a dream, right?"

"I," She thought for a bit before answering, "I want to go there…"

Kagemochi raised a brow, "Why?"

"Because, I saw Zack…" she answered, "He's there…"

The group was quiet as she said this. Still, she furrowed her brow as she continued, "But, I saw Doctor Danny there too… Still, I want to go there…"

* * *

After that event, the group left her room. Kagemochi had told her that she couldn't leave without enough proof that that's what exactly what happened. The only thing they knew about was that Cathy snuck past Kageie to attack her. However, she really wanted to go find Zack. A whole day passed with her still confined in her room. As she wrote in her journal under the light of the candle, she froze as words began to appear on the paper by itself. It was in neat English that said, "If you wish to see Issac Foster, you simply only need to walk out."

Seeing this, she dropped her brush and felt a cold chill across her face. She turned around and saw her door was wide open with the Raven sitting on the veranda. Her eyes widen in surprise as she saw it.

"You're back…" She whispered.

The Raven cawed and flapped its wings before a slight breeze brushed past her. She nodded and snatched her bag before quietly rushing out. She was going to find Zack!

It had been a while since she had ran well enough. After the cast was taken off, it was a bit of trouble moving about which led her to fall off the Ravine. Even then, Kagemochi said that it was a miracle she hadn't broken any bones in her body. Now, she could run about without too much worry. The problem was the head injury she sustained from the attack. It still hurts every now and then, but, other than that, it wasn't all that bad. Whatever happened, she had weapons with her to defend herself. All that was left was to find Zack. However, one thing came to her thoughts. Should she go find him without Yuzuki's help? It had seemed that the people in the castle didn't believe in her, so will Yuzuki and the others?

She had already reached past the castle and two towns when the sun rose, but she wasn't tired. Probably because she slept that afternoon as advised by the blue werewolf. She continued walking with the map in hand. Since walking, she had yet to encounter through any trouble. Instead, she walked till she found herself in the forest. It was as according to the map, so she shouldn't have any problems. Instead, she continued walking whilst talking with the raven. It was then that she saw a small town in the middle of being rebuilt. She recognized it. It was the town that she was in when she first arrived. As she walked past it, she asked the Raven, "Maybe Yuzuki would help me find Zack?"

The Raven cawed. A thought came to her as she walked past the streets, "You know, the castle was really quiet when we left."

The raven cawed again as if in irritation. It was then that the Raven flew off her shoulder and onto a tree. What sat next to it surprised her as she looked up. It was the white bird she had seen.

"Ah."

Suddenly, the white bird flew down and was perched on her head before flying off ahead of her.

"Wait!"

She reached out running after it. The bird flew high in the sky as she rushed after it. Ignoring all else around her as she called out to it, "H-Hold on!"

She followed it into the forest. After a few minutes of running, she was starting to feel a little light headed with the bird slowly disappearing for sight. She felt the entire world began to turn as she fell to her feet when she felt a hand grab her around her waist.

When she awoke, she had found herself on a futon. Slowly, she sat up and saw a familiar hand reached out to her touching her shoulder.

"Ray!"

She turned and saw a dark hair werewolf she knew very well.

"Masa…toyo?" she responded in confusion.

The werewolf let out a sigh of relief as he nodded, "That's right! Thank god, you're awake…"

She looked about and saw the familiar room, "I'm… back?"

He nodded, "Masanobu and I found you near the border. He's gone to inform Shingen-sama."

It was then that the red hair werewolf and the blond werewolf poked their heads out from behind the open door.

"Ray!" He said with a smile at first before seeing her and his eyes narrowed, "Those injuries…"

Rachel noticed that he was staring at her bandage around her head and she said, "A woman came to attack me the night before…"

As they took a seat beside her, Shingen thought for a bit before he said, "How are you feeling now, then?"

"Fine…" She answered quietly, "The Uesugi army treated my injuries before I left."

"They just let you go?" Masatoyo asked in surprise.

She shook her head, "The door was open so I walked out. The castle was quiet too…"

Masanobu raised a brow, "Ray, what happened after the Date kidnapped you?"

Slowly, she began to retell all that had happened after her kidnap at the same time, she dug into her bag and showed them the notes that she received from the Raven and the dream with her injury. She then also realized that she had forgotten her journal back in Uesugi territory while she left the castle. When she was done, everyone was quiet while Shingen just stared at her quietly with a frown. All eyes were turned on him before he finally sighed, "Let's see. First, you didn't run when Masanobu told you to run, then you broke your leg in Date Territory and, finally, you left the castle without thinking anything was weird."

"Yes?" She raised a brow.

Shingen frown deepened before he said, "I'll speak with Yuzuki."

She nodded till he continued with furrowed brows, "But you're to stay in your room for a week."

She raised a brow in confusion before Shingen got up and left the room. She turned to Masatoyo and Masanobu as Masatoyo forced a smile, "That's… a surprise. I was certain he'd scold her."

Masanobu nodded before seeing her confused look as he clarified with a small smile, "Well, he's basically telling you that you're grounded."

"Grounded?" she repeated, "Did I do something bad?"

Masanobu smiled, "You did some reckless things and got hurt in the process, you know. Everyone wants to make sure you're not hurt, but we can't always have a close eye on you if you go out and hurt yourself. That's why you're grounded. Though, I can't blame you for not running when I told you to."

She looked to him with a frown, "Are you okay?"

His eyes widen in surprise as he nodded, "Y-Yeah. You don't have to worry about me. I got treated after the Sanada's ninjas and Masakage found me."

The she looked to them in confusion, "So, when I'm grounded, I can only stay in my room, right?"

They nodded as Masatoyo looked to her in confusion, "Have you… never gotten grounded before?"

She thought for a bit before she responded, "I don't know…"

Masanobu chuckled before he said, "Well, since you can read now, I think you can just read some of the books here while you heal up."

"Oh…" she nodded quietly, "Okay…"

* * *

"Wow…" Masakage grimaced, "I haven't seen Shingen-sama ground anyone in a long time. I haven't seen that angry in a while till now."

Nobuharu grinned, "Weren't you the last and only one he ever grounded?"

"Hey! That was a long time ago!" the teenage boy snapped with a grumble, "And, it's not like I'm still a little boy!"

A day after she had arrived back at the castle, Shingen had already sent a messenger to Toyotomi Territory while she was grounded in her room. However, it wasn't that bad while she had occasional visits from everyone after they had heard of her return. Masakage was still convinced that the enemy armies were trying to use her as an hostage while Nobuharu had little concern over her it seems. She was busying herself with a novel given to her by Masatoyo. It was about herbs and what it treats. For some reason, they have a lot of books and scrolls of herbs around the castle. Today, Masakage and Nobuharu was visiting her while she was writing a new journal. Everything was quiet and dull with only the permitted visitors to come visit her.

"Ray?"

As she thought that, she heard a knock on her door as she turned around and saw that it was Yuzuki! Followed behind her was that blond vampire called Hanbee who was holding a folded umbrella as he waved at her, "Hi!"

"Hi…" She nodded quietly much to the two visitors' surprise.

"Oh! You're here too?" Nobuharu said with a wide grin.

Yuzuki nodded with a smile, "Hanbee and Kanbee had an errand to run, so I wanted to come by to check on Rachel. I heard she was able to return to the castle."

"Ah." The tall man grinned, "The girl made it back on her own believe or not."

"But, now, she's grounded." Masakage added with a small grumble.

"Grounded?" Yuzuki's eyes widen in surprise, "Why?"

"According to what she told us, she did some reckless things while in Date and Uesugi Territory." Nobuharu answered with a frown, "Shingen-sama got angry and grounded her for being so reckless. Well, it's not like we can make her take up a sword and train."

Yuzuki looked to her in surprise, "Was that how you got hurt?"

She walked over to her and softly took her bandaged hand, "You should be more careful. Did anything happen while you were in their territories?"

"Not really." Nobuharu answered before Ray could respond, "But it seems those creatures are starting to move everywhere."

"That's…" Yuzuki frowned with a trouble look.

Suddenly, Hanbee spoke up with a sigh, "Well, it seems those Yakumas aren't attracted to Yuzuki this time."

"Seriously?" Masakage smiled, "Then, that's great, right?"

Hanbee nodded with a bright smile. Turning to Yuzuki, Ray asked, "The… message…"

Yuzuki looked to her in surprised before she nodded with a smile, "Hideyoshi and everyone is looking for the Ravine first."

Hanbee nodded, "Right. You said that Doctor Danny was there, right? We have to keep an eye out for anything suspicious first."

"Right. Right." Nobuharu nodded, "We shouldn't rush things are we'd be caught unprepared, got it?"

She thought for a bit before she nodded, "I was hasty…"

Yuzuki then saw the brush and ink of her desk as she said in awe, "Ray, have you started learning Shinga's words?"

Ray nodded, "Shigezane and Kojuurou taught me."

"They did?" Yuzuki said in surprise before she smiled, "Well, Kojuurou would be better with teaching, but Shigezane too?"

"You know them well?" Masakage looked to her in surprise.

"Ah, that's right." Hanbee said as he clapped his hands together, "You were at all the territories for a while, right? I'm surprised you know Date army's higher vassals, though."

Yuzuki smiled, "Well, I was a hostage. But, they didn't treat me too badly. Of course, they were all suspicious of me, but they treated me well."

"I heard from Kojuurou…" Ray answered quietly, "He gave me a lot of books and taught me to write… But, he was on an errand for a long time. I think the monsters are causing a lot of trouble…"

"I see." Yuzuki strained a smile and patted Rachel's head, "At least, Ray is safe."

Ray nodded quietly. Yuzuki looked to the book in her hand with a surprised look, "Eh, this book…"

Hanbee glanced over to it in surprise, "Ah, so you have a copy here too!"

Masakage shrugged, "Masanobu has a lot of these books, so he lent her one. But, it's boring since all she does is read them all day."

"But, you know, her studies are pretty good." Nobuharu chuckled, "She got Masatoyo pretty happy just from reciting one of them."

Yuzuki looked to her in awe, "So, Ray is pretty good at studying… Do you like studying, Ray?"

"Do I like to study?" Rachel echoed with a conflicted expression on her face, "I don't know…"

"Well, what made you want to start learning to read Shinga's letters?" Hanbee asked curiously.

She thought for a bit before she answered, "I was bored… There was this shed that they locked me in at Date Territory and there was a shelf of books there. So, I asked them to teach me to read."

"I see." Yuzuki smiled, "I do remember there being a lot of books there…"

"They locked you two in the shed?!" Masakage's eyes widen as he heard this, "How's that treating you well?"

"I did say that they were still suspicious of me." Yuzuki forced a smile, "In fact, they were about to let me out of the shed the night Yukimura and everyone came to save me. Their decisions are sometimes out of the blue too."

Rachel nodded, "They let me out too."

"You too?" Yuzuki said with a grin.

"After I broke my leg from trying to look through the window." She added.

There was a moment of silence before Rachel continued, "Oh, but Kojuurou told me to get down when he saw me, but I accidentally broke the bars on the window and fell."

Suddenly, Nobuharu chuckled as he said, "Ah, so that explains it."

Yuzuki strained a smile, "So, that's why…"

"Well, Ray is still considered a child in your world, right?" Hanbee forced a smile, "I'm sure she knows better next time."

Ray nodded, "I think Masamune was mad that I broke the window."

"I don't know about that…" Yuzuki muttered quietly as she grinned, "So, they bandaged you up and you healed, right?"

She nodded, "They were gone for over a months before I recovered."

"Over a month?" Yuzuki's eye widen in surprise.

Hanbee said with a frown, "Looks like those monsters are causing trouble everywhere, huh…"

"I wonder if the Ravine might have something to do with these monsters." Yuzuki muttered quietly.

Ray looked up to them and said, "I think one of the woman is Himemiko…"

"What?!" Yuzuki looked to her in surprise as she asked, "Are you sure?"

She frowned, "The woman in the pink dress looked a little like the one I saw in the book at Date Territory."

Yuzuki looked to the other three who could only return the look of uncertainty.

* * *

After the battle that was also delayed by the appearance of man eating monsters, all armies retreated to reinforce their own walls and the protection of the towns. The monsters were different from the yakumas and bore sharp teeth with inhuman strength rather than just speed and body weapons. Yuzuki was there on the battlefield when she saw it happen. Upon seeing the situation, Hideyoshi quickly called the men back when he saw the Oda generals do the same. There was just too many of them. The sight of them were horrific to even hear. Pale and thin bodies with long limbs bead eyes and large jaws. Their speed was faster than the yakumas appearing and reappearing like ninjas but without restraint in ferociousness. The sight of them made her shudder, but it seems that all the armies had been able to push them back. However, it seems that guns were of little use and the armies resorted to their blades. The battle came to a draw and, thankfully, the town was not in the same disarray as when the yakumas appeared on the battlefield months ago in her first second battle. However, it was soon reported that Ray had gotten taken by the Date Army. Yuzuki was shocked and the action seemed to have mystified everyone. After all, Ray didn't have powers like Yuzuki. So, why would the Date General kidnap her?

Days passed before Yuzuki received word that Shingen had requested help from the Sanada army to bring Rachel back. However, that day, the monsters reappeared with strange behavior as if they were on a travel to a certain destination. It was said that they had stalked those monsters secretly before pulling back deeming that it would be too dangerous when they encountered the Date generals. In the battle, the general revealed that the creatures senses them through movements and the news were immediately brought back. Well, it should've been if they had not encountered Uesugi's army. Apparently, thanks to that, the Sanada army were forced to remain there until they could afford the slip. However, it seemed that along the way, the Uesugi army and the Date army had start clashing against more of these monsters. There wasn't much details of the situation after though. Instead, they returned with word that the child was well, but seemed to be wearing a cast. According to Masanobu, Ray had been well before her kidnapping meaning the cast must've been applied shortly after she was kidnapped. Then, there was word that she was found crossing the border between Uesugi and Takeda Territories. Her return prompted Yuzuki to ask if she could go check on the child. After talking with the child, she walked out of the room and saw Kanbee waiting outside with Masanobu and Shingen. Hanbee smiled, "It looks like she's gotten much better since we last saw her."

Masanobu nodded with a grin, "She's more responsive now too."

Hanbee chuckled, "They really took your time connecting with her, so, obviously, she's getting better."

Shingen sighed, "It's great that she's doing well, but I didn't think she'd become so reckless…"

"That's why you're grounding her, right?" Hanbee pointed out as Yuzuki giggled.

"Well, it was a reckless idea." Yuzuki said quietly supporting Shingen's thought, "I'm surprised it's her first time being grounded, though."

Kanbee nodded, "With this, she will be able to recover without worry."

Yuzuki nodded too in agreement. Shingen then turned to her and asked, "So, will you be going, then?"

She nodded, "I've already decided. I'm going."

Shingen frowned, "Are you sure? We could also be dealing with some lunatics and monsters down there."

"I know." She replied, "But, if the source is in the Ravine, then I want to be of help and stop the Yakumas and monsters for good this time."

They were quiet before Shingen nodded, "I thought you would come to this conclusion. Well, we're coming along too. It seems that Ray really wants to go back to this Zack fellow. I just hope he doesn't start causing trouble. You said that he wasn't educated properly, right?"

Masanobu sighed as they see her nervous nod, "This is going to cause a problem and we definitely won't be able to keep him here knowing his reputation or that he lives up to it."

"This is certainly going to be troublesome…"

Everybody nearly jumped as they looked next to Shingen and saw Masatoyo. Yuzuki struggled a smile as he said with a small chuckle, "I was here the entire time…"

* * *

It was the last day of her punishment as she sat on the ground studying quietly while the sound of clattering wooden swords clashed outside her room. It was a nice day out as usual, but she was not allowed outside due to being grounded. Yuzuki and Hanbee had left the castle to return to Toyotomi territory after she said her goodbyes from her room. However, as she read the books of herbs, she heard footsteps rush out as Shingen's voice called out, "Masakage! Nobuharu! We're leaving. Those monsters have appeared in the nearby town."

His shouts surprised her as she looked up. It was the first time she heard him call out to them with a serious look. It seemed more serious than the time she got him angry. As he walked past her door, he thought for a bit before he frowned, "Ray, you're coming with us."

She looked to him in surprise as Masakage spoke up in confusion, "We're going to bring her with us?"

Masanobu sighed, "It would be too dangerous to leave her in the castle by herself after what happened at Date's and Uesugi's castle. This is the best choice."

Hearing this, she nodded and put her book away onto the table. She grabbed her bag and followed after them.

Though she was thankful for the transportation, she can't really say that she's starting to like riding horses at all. It was really tough, though she'd gotten better at it. This time, she rode on a black horse with the blond werewolf. She would've looked about the forest if they weren't in a hurry. However, when they got to the town. Everything was quiet. The town was in a disarray with people about, but that's just it. They were up and about. Frozen in place with the monsters frozen as well. The smoke from a nearby fire froze as they walked into the town.

"What is this?" she heard Masatoyo said arriving next to them.

After seeing the town, they were separated into groups and they went with Masatoyo through what was suppose to be the markets, but the place was in chaos. Everyone and everything froze in time as if they were part of some elaborate prank. She and Masanobu got down from the horse as she watched the two werewolf walk around in confusion. Masatoyo touched a farmer's shoulder while Masatoyo tried to cut down a nearby monster, but the sword was deflect as if hitting hard iron. It was quiet and almost eerie as it looked as if they could wake up at any moment but didn't. She looked around and saw an apple that was stuck mid-fall from the counter. She slowly reached out with her bandaged hand before she felt something cold shift in her palm. She drew back her hand suddenly as she pulled her hand back. Curious, she turned to her hand and pull back her bandage to see that it was a pretty blue gem… embedded in her palm. Her eyes widen in surprise as she slowly touched the tear-shape gem in her hand. It felt cold in her hand. It was pretty and she tried to claw it out of her hand, but it wouldn't come off. In a slight panic, she looked around in confusion trying to find a way to remove it. She couldn't figure out where, but she was afraid. So afraid of what could come though she didn't know what could come at all.

"Ray?"

She turned around and saw Masanobu staring hard at her hand as he softly took it and examined the jewel. The jewel lay embedded over the burn that still had yet to completely heal. Finally, he looked to up to her, "Does it hurt?"

She shook her head as he rerwrapped it with the bandage.

"Then, how did it become like this?" He asked again.

"I don't know." She replied, "It just felt cold, so I took a look."

She waited for a reply when Masatoyo suddenly spoke, "We should go back to Shingen-sama and the others."

Masanobu nodded with a frown, "Ah."

She then followed after the two as they got back to the center of the town. They could see Shingen and the other two vassals talking in a serious expression. Upon seeing them, Shingen asked, "Masanobu, how was the situation on your side?"

The man shook his head with a frown, "There was no response and everything froze in place as well."

"Also…" Masatoyo spoke up looking to Ray, "It seems there was a development on Ray's burn…"

Masanobu untied the bandage revealing the blue jewel attached to her palm. Shingen frowned as Masakage looked to her in surprise, "You… What did you do now?!"

"I touched an apple…" She answered, "Then, I felt something cold on my hand."

The leader thought for a bit before he frowned and sighed, "You…"

* * *

Shortly after that, Rachel was brought back to the castle. Apparently, he had specifically told her not to touch anything before they left, but she didn't hear. However, even if she did argue back, it did not change the fact that she touched something at the place and now could be stuck with it. The only problem now is…

"So, I can't go…" She wondered quietly.

"With your current situation, I'm afraid so…" Masatoyo said as she patted her head.

Masatoyo brought her back while Masanobu and everyone else stayed behind at the site. He took her palm examining the blue jewel with a frown. It was clearly an unusual piece of jewel and, when he touched it, it was a little cooler to the touch. He began to write down the symptoms and observations on a piece of paper on her desk. After much questions, he finally bandaged it and sighed, "Well, you're not in any pain, so you should be fine. But, it's still a mystery…"

After the awful decision, she no longer had the permission to go to the Ravine with them and was really depressed over it. She looked to the bandaged hand with a curious expression as Masatoyo warned, "Also, don't try to scratch it out anymore. You're just going to hurt yourself."

She nodded quietly. She turned to him watching as he packed away the papers and stuff. She then looked to her hand again curiously. After that, she stayed in her room reading quietly for a bit, but the cold feel in her palm continued to distract her. Finally, when night rolled around, she began to poke at it before she felt a touch on her shoulder. Startled, she jumped and spung around.

"W-What?"

To her relief, it was just Masakage who looked to her in surprise.

"You were actually surprised or something?" The werewolf said with wide eyes.

She thought for a bit before she nodded, "Ah… That surprised me…"

"O-oh. W-well, it's time for dinner. Come on." He replied.

She was more surprised that everyone was back actually. After what had happened, Shingen had her returned to the castle and finish the last bit of her punishment. It was then that she noticed how being grounded could be really depressing. Perhaps, if she doesn't do anything reckless than this wouldn't happen again? But, what can be considered reckless or not? Speaking of which, she recalled the change on Shingen's expression the moment he heard that she broke her leg. Would it be different if she doesn't get hurt?

* * *

Dinner was loud as usual. Masakage seemed to have been mad over something and argued with Nobuharu. She wasn't to certain, but it wasn't of much interest. It brought a little liveliness to the dinner after what had happened. She was back in her room and writing in her journal again. During her writing, she heard her door open and turned around seeing a surprised Masanobu.

"Ray?" His ears twitched as he raised a brow, "Did I surprise you?"

She shook her head, "I heard someone open the door…"

"You heard me open the door?" He raised a brow.

She nodded. It was then that she noticed a smile on his face.

"I see. How is your hand?" He asked.

"It doesn't hurt." She answered, "It just feels cold."

"Cold?"

As she poked at it, she nodded, "It sometimes feels colder than usual…"

He quickly stopped her other hand and took her injured palm unwrapping the bandage. The jewel still shined beautifully as he touched it. She saw his eyes narrow as he muttered, "It is slightly cold, but it's always been under wraps."

Finally, after some checks, he wrapped it up and said, "Don't try to touch it anymore, okay?"

She nodded quietly.

* * *

**YueTian: Hey, guys! Spring break is over! WAH! I really hate that… Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter! Writing these chapters really helps take away the stress. So now, things seem to have gotten a bit complicated for Ray… It was totally not my intention for this to happen since I was writing as I come up with the plot and I'll be honest. I have not thought about the ending yet. So, I'll just post this much for now. See ya!**

* * *

_**4/2/2019 7:18 PM**_


	7. Chapter 7: To Look To, But Never Found

To Look To, But Never Found

There, a woman in white stood before the large tree as she softly pat a petal of the white lily amongst the many that stood around her with a finger. The slight wind blew to her. The lilies tilted before her as if eager to be plucked and petted. The woman with the long silver hair and mask. However, it wasn't long before the wind intensified that she stood up on her bare feet and elegantly hopped off the root with her white dress flowing behind her. She walked up through the flowers till she came upon a young woman with much longer black hair and long pink kimono. The woman in white bent down on one knee and gently touched her head. There was a bright light that flashed above them. One look and they could tell that it was the stars that soon floated down before them. She got up as the stars gathered before her. A man in a blue western armor appeared with white hair and a gold mask which covered his eyes. The man folded his arms and asked firmly, "You wish to help someone who is not of the humans mother created?"

"Should I not?" the woman replied in a quiet, dull tone.

The man smiled and shook his head, "You may and I shall assist you as well as give you permission. But, be warned. The others will catch onto this."

"Then," she answered, "I shall ask for permission from all the leaders. But, till then, her condition during her time here will be under my personal care."

The man shrugged with a small chuckle, "Do what you want. I have no intention to be here to stop you."

He took a step forward and looked to the collapsed woman with a small sigh, "For something to have such an unfortunate fate but still be so strong to fight it."

"Fate…" the silver hair woman repeated quietly.

The man stepped back and grinned, "But, she's fighting it, is she not?"

The silver hair woman nodded, "That's right. But, our fate is still far from over."

He looked to her and frowned, "You saw it?"

The woman was quiet before releasing a small, quiet laugh.

"Perhaps." She answered and pulled back her hand before turning to the skies as the light from the stars and the moon shone bright.

Finally, she continued, "Until the day comes, I shall watch over her."

The man chuckled, "How curious. A moon creator protecting a moon goddess."

"I am in no mood to jest, Tian." The woman stated with a firm note.

The man laughed bitterly, "I thought the same… My apologies… Yue."

"We shall talk of this another time." She said with a tone of caution.

The man frowned, "Yue? Are you feeling all right?"

The woman was quiet before she brought out her hand summoning force a large serpent from the nearby lake. It slithered in the air before dipping its silver head onto the ground as Tian bent down to pick the sleeping woman up. Yue brought out a hand to his shoulder as the man froze and forced a chuckle.

"At least, allow a man to do his job." He said with a grin but a firm tone.

The woman thought for a bit before letting him go and he placed the faint woman on the serpent's head. The serpent moved from the place to the roots as the strands began to shift on their own revealing an open space with small strands of roots forming what looked to be a hammock. Tian then picked her up again and set her on the hammock before the roots began to form again leaving just enough light for them to barely see her. As they stepped back, the man chuckled bitterly, "Looks like we'll be in for a big event. You do realize that she's still considered missing from her realm for thousands of years now."

Yue was quiet before she turned around and walked away. Tian was silent too before he said, "You realize that, even with this, it won't be enough. We'll need help. Help that we don't have. How much time do we have before it sets in motion?"

The woman stopped and looked up to the night sky lit by the stars and moon.

"Millions of years." Yue answered, "By then, we'll find our aid."

"You'll have to be patient, then." Tian responded with a smirk.

"Yes. Do you have the patience, then?"

The man was quiet for a bit before he slumped his shoulders, "Why are we at this again?"

The woman, then, turned to them and said quietly, "My apologies for my lack of abilities. But, we are in a tighter situation… May I ask for your assistance?"

She turned to the roots again and continued, "If not for me, then for her… There's only a limited amount of time left by the time you see this."

She said before taking the mask off and placing it in midair before she said once more, "Oh, watch out for the blood of the earth…"

Saying this, she turned around and began walking towards the cave entrance.

* * *

"Wait?!"

When she awoke, she found herself reaching out to the empty space above her. She froze in her place for a bit before she got up. Looking around, she saw that she was in her own room again. Suddenly, the door opened to her surprise as she turned around and saw that it was Masatoyo who also raised a brow, "You're awake?"

He sighed in relief and smiled, "I knocked and called, but you didn't respond. At least, you're all right."

She nodded, "Good morning."

He nodded back, "Good morning. You should get changed before breakfast starts."

Again, she nodded as he closed the door behind him. As she got up from her futon, she felt something tap under her nails and looked down. Her eyes widen in surprise. It was a white mask. The smooth surface felt nice under her fingers as she picked it up. There was barely any marks on it or any special design. It was dull and white, but it was still something significant as if it had something to do with that dream just like that petal. Speaking of which, how _did _she know of the petal or where it was from?

Although, she had thought about it over breakfast, the answer didn't really come. When she finished morning chores with Masakage's help after, she went back to her room to read. However, she still couldn't get her thoughts off of the dreams. All that came to her mind was the lady and the other pretty one. The place she rested was similar to the place where she saw Zack sleeping in. Realizing that she was unable to make much progress, she got up and left the room. As she was no longer grounded, she was free to walk about the castle again. She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder causing her to jump and turn.

"Hey, it's just me, you know."

It was Masakage. She tilted her head in confusion, "Masakage? What are you doing here?"

"You didn't pay attention again?" the werewolf sighed, "I'm suppose to be guarding you today. Orders, remember?"

She quietly looked to him in confusion as his shoulders slumped over and a look of exasperation came over him. He placed a hand over his face as if pulling himself together and grumbled, "You didn't listen to a word since breakfast, huh…"

She really didn't know what to say to that and tilted her head with uncertainty. Masakage looked rather annoyed when he saw this and she watched him as he sighed and grumbled, "Well, what do you remember? What about what we had for dinner? No, wait. You nearly swallowed the whole fish on your plate too. You obviously weren't paying attention, then! Not to mention, last night-!"

He froze as he looked to her again. She saw the change of his expression from annoyance to surprise before he sighed and grumbled, "Anyway, where are you planning to go?"

She thought for a bit.

"You left your room without even thinking about what to do?" Masakage asked in surprise that was soon followed by annoyance.

She nodded quietly, "I couldn't focus on my readings…"

"Huh?" He looked to her in surprise, "You can't focus on your readings?"

She nodded, "I had a strange dream last night and couldn't stop thinking about it."

"A dream?" Masakage's eyes widen in surprise, "What is it about? Ah! It's not like I'm curious or anything-"

"A woman." She answered.

Her answer seemed to have stunned Masakage as she continued, "It was about a woman with a pretty white dress and a knight with silver hair too. I think Himemiko was there too, but I'm not too sure. Just that I got this mask from the pretty woman with the white dress, and-"

She stopped when she saw a hand stuck out before her.

"Show me the mask." He said.

Though she was surprised, she didn't feel threatened rather it was a little bit familiar. She nodded and brought out the mask she had placed into her bag. After placing it in his hand, the werewolf looked to the mask with a stunned look as he touched it carefully. After a few seconds of unclear mutters, the boy handed her back the mask and said in a firm tone, "Don't lose that, got it? Shingen-sama and the others need to see this when they return."

She took it and looked to him in confusion, "They're not home?"

"Great…" Masakage sighed, "Shingen-sama and the others went to go check on the town, remember? That was the plan today."

"Oh." She said quietly before putting the mask back in the bag.

"Geez…" He grumbled, "First, that. Then- AGH!"

Suddenly, a storm of black came around them as a very familiar small figure appeared over them. Her eyes widen in surprise as black feather drifted down before her eyes. It seemed to gave her a cocky look with puffed chest before having to fight off against Masakage's hand.

"Ah. It's back." She stated bluntly, "It's the Raven I told you about."

"I figured. Gah!" He shouted swatting the bird away with his stick.

"Please don't hurt it…" she said.

"Then, give me a hand!" he responded with a scowl, "H-Hey! Watch the eye!"

However, the werewolf was still busy trying to catch the bird with his bare hands that Ray worried she'd be pushed aside if she butted in. Still, he did tell her to help him. So, she reached into her bag and pulled out a bamboo leaf wrap Masatoyo had given her that morning and unwrapped it. Inside sat a triangle shaped bundle of rice. It was cold in her hand but still looked good enough to eat. She tore off the tip and held it out to the bird as she coaxed, "Here…"

The cawing and fluttering stopped as the large raven flew to her shoulder before she handed it the piece of rice. It tore it from her fingers and swallowed it whole voraciously. Recovering from the attack, Masakage grumbled, "And, now it acts as if nothing happened. Damn it..."

The bird cawed and puffed its chest as Masakage frowned, "Be quiet already! Geez."

She could already tell that he was annoyed as she continued to share her riceball with it.

"Heh. It looks like Ray could be a great bird whisperer."

Ray looked up and saw the blond werewolf walk over to them from the halls.

"Masanobu?" Masakage raised a brow, "I thought you went to the village."

"I was called back. Ray did confirm that the monsters are capable of entering castles easily." He replied with a glance to Ray as he smiled, "So, it seems we have a visitor."

She nodded quietly and handed it the last of her riceball.

"It's smart." She stated.

"And annoying and scary." Masakage added with a glare at it.

"Shouldn't you be thanking Ray for helping you just now?" Masanobu said with a grin.

"I-I guess…" he grumbled and glanced over to her, "Thanks…"

She nodded silently. The bird cawed in response and the young werewolf flinched before glaring at the bird, "Agh! Just shut up already!"

Masanobu chuckled, "It seems you're not in a good mood."

Masakage glanced over to Ray and grumbled, "You should show it to him."

Masanobu raised a brow and looked to her in confusion, "Hm? What is it?"

She reached into her bag and pulled out the mask, "I had a dream last night and found this under my blanket this morning…"

When she pulled out the white mask, Masanobu narrowed his eyes as he picked it out of her hands.

"This is…" He began with a deep frown, "Ray. What did your dream consist of this time, then?"

"A pretty woman in a white dress and a knight with silver hair." She began before retelling all she had seen to them.

When she was done, he looked to her curiously before looking back at the object in silence. Ray couldn't tell what he was thinking, but Masakage, on the other hand, seemed rather nervous. She watched on before Masanobu finally asked her, "Did anything else happen to you today?"

She shook her head, "No…"

She could see him strain a smile and patted her head, "I'll tell Shingen-sama and the others when they return. For now, let me know if anything else peculiar happened, okay?"

She nodded quietly. Masakage frowned, "So, you had the same dream too?"

"Of course." Masanobu responded with a grin, "You aren't the only ones having that dream."

Ray raised a brow was the words slipped her lips, "Not the only ones…?"

"Wha-?! How did you know about that?" the younger werewolf exclaimed in surprise.

"Why would you have told her to hand this mask to me otherwise?" he responded.

"Seriously?" he said with a frown, "Then everyone else too?"

"That's right." The blond werewolf nodded firmly, "I can't say for them with certainty, but, if the three of us have the same dream, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone else had the same dream."

Ray found this to be a very interesting case to which she muttered quietly in interest, "Having the same dreams and bringing objects from them…"

Masanobu looked to her and frowned before ask them, "During the dream, there was a moment when she took off her mask to hand it to us, right? Do you recall her appearance?"

There was a moment of silence for the thought to go through as a thought came through to her, "I remember…"

She saw them turning to her in surprise as she answered, "I don't remember her face, but I remember thinking that her eyes looked unusual… Not creepy like Doctor Danny's…"

Masanobu frowned, "Unusual, but not horrific?"

The raven cawed again before tapping on the strap of her bag. She thought for a bit before she turned to them as they continued talking more fluently in Japanese. She looked through her bag for some more food, but there only sat a brush, ink container, and journal.

Ray watched as the Raven turned away and cawed before nestling against her head. It was a large bird in size, but the weight of it wasn't as bad as she had thought. Not to mention, this would not be the first time it sat on her shoulder either and she had gotten accustomed to it as well. It was then that she noticed it reach over its head and pecked at a hand. A yelp was heard and she looked to see that it was coming from Masakage who quickly retracted his hand.

"The bird just pecked at me again!" He glared at the creature.

"It seems the bird is likes you." Masanobu smirked to Ray.

She looked to the bird in confusion. Did it like her? But from seeing the bird just turning its head, she sort of doubted that. However...

The thought of it would be nice…

As she thought this, she felt something cold in the palm of her hand. It was the same one that had the jewel in it. Curious, she pushed the bandages up to check. The blue cool jewel now had a faint glow to it.

"Ray. How about you return to your room for now?"

She looked up and saw Masanobu looking to her as his eyes narrowed with a look of caution. She nodded, "Okay…"

She then turned around and made her way back to her room, though she wasn't certain what she would do there.

* * *

Having returned to her room, she waited for hours as her journal soon became a drawing pad covered in small doodles and stick figures. It was boring without any people around, but she was entertained by her drawing pad/journal and the Raven that now sat on her lap sleeping soundly. Her mind went from the room to her books and journal before to her dream after seeing the futon folded up in the corner. The fact that they could have movable beds were still interesting to her and she found it rather convenient since it was like camping indoors every night. She recalled how Zack had complained about sleeping on the floor once before till he finally stopped one night when he returned from a trip outside. The elder man was kind then and didn't argue back but neither did he replied. He was just quiet. Thinking back now, she recalled her surprise when Zack decided not to snap around him either. It was probably one of the first time she had seen Zack patient with someone other than herself. There was no thoughts of killing him nor did he showed the urge to take the old man's life. Around times when he couldn't respond, she could tell that Zack was fine with it too, probably because he also wasn't lying. Zack hates liars. Though he wasn't her god, she found that God was the same in that aspect. He also didn't appreciate liars very much, but could she be forgiven for that? That day back in the building, Zack had also forgiven her, despite saying how he detested liars. That he hated them more than people who laughed, though he didn't tell her that. It was just something she assumed. She frowned for a bit before putting her pen down and taking a breath as she mumbled, "Should I've asked Zack if he hated liars more than people who are happy?"

She thought for a bit before she shook her head, "Zack didn't like my face because it's dull… But, I smiled that day back in the basement and he didn't kill me. Why is that?"

She thought for a bit before she shook her head, "Ah, that's right. The promise… That reminds me. I need to find Zack still, but…"

She looked to the closed door with a frown, "They probably won't let me out after what happened… Shingen probably won't help me either if I escaped like that. Yuzuki agreed to help, but she's with the other army."

Army? A thought came to her as she muttered aloud, "How long as this war been going on? Since the disappearance of the princess? But, that's a really long time…"

If that's true, then how long have the princess been around? Are they immortal like God? They did say they came from the moon, but she did recall Shigezane saying that the image in the book was said to be the closest to the actual thing. Then, maybe they weren't immortal? It was an interesting thought, but those probably wouldn't be true.

"It was suppose to be a big battle too."

She looked up in surprise as footsteps approached her door.

"To think that monsters would come in and ruin it all again."

They didn't sound anything like the voices of the generals. Speaking of which she still wasn't clear between the generals and commander stuff. The last time she heard that Hideyoshi was a supreme commander, she couldn't tell if he was joking or not. Did they know she didn't understand it either? She also didn't know the position of power too well either, but these were soldiers, right? What are soldiers doing around these parts? Are they guards? The conversation continued as she heard about the previous big battle that happened a few months ago. During that time, it sounded like the Yakumas interrupted the battle that time. She thought she'd hear more about it, but they soon walked away from her door. Well, another page to write. If it's something that interesting. Somehow this didn't feel any different from the time when she was grounded. With nothing much to do, she stared at the candle flickering from the corner and petting the Raven with a finger on the head. It was early evening now and the castle has grown quiet. She had heard numerous whispering as well as when Shingen and the others had returned. Yet, she was still busy scribbling onto her journal. Each page was now filled with neater writings as she practiced the strokes of each characters. When Masatoyo came around, she saw him carrying a large stone equipment in his hands. She watched with interest as he entered her room, "Ah, Ray! So, this is where you were. Have you been here the entire time?"

Ray nodded, "Masanobu told me to go wait in my room."

"Huh?" His eyes widen in surprise, "But, that was in the afternoon, right? He didn't really said you needed to stay here all day. Well, you probably got a bit lonely here, then?"

Ray shook her head, "The Raven was with me since this afternoon. We had the rice balls together... They were good and it seemed to like it too."

Masatoyo chuckled, "That's nice to hear."

She looked to the equipments for making medicine curiously as he saw this, "Oh, this? We make medicine with it. We take the herbs and grind them under this so we can make Shin- So, we can make medicine for everyone. We might have a lot of battle, so it's better to prepare medicine ahead of time."

So it was something like a mortar?

"Oh." She nodded slowly, "Can I help?"

Masatoyo looked around curiously before nodding his head with a smile, "Of course. There probably isn't much for you to do by yourself here, then?"

"I got bored." She stated.

Stuffing her journal into her bag, she followed after Masatoyo obediently. They arrived in the room the doctor had used that afternoon to treat injuries. Masatoyo placed the mortar and began calculatively placing herbs onto it before he began rolling the stone over it. Seeing thus, Masatoyo carefully instructed her the process and began placing a couple more herbs into the mortar for her. She could tell some of the medicinal herbs used, but it was difficult to tell what the cure was for. Sometimes, she'd make a mental guess but was later uninterested in it anymore. All she knew was that it was for the general, but that was it. During this time, Masatoyo decided to pass the time quizzing her over the herbs and its purposes using some from the drawers nearby, but she noticed how he didn't try to quiz her using the herbs before them. Still, she responded dutifully without much thought. When she was done, Masatoyo placed the medicine in a container and held out a hand to her, "Can you show me that hand with the burn, Ray?"

She placed her hand on his palm. He quickly pulled away the bandages revealing the blue gem hiding under the wraps. The burn was gone as if it was never there to begin with and the blue gem lay cooly on the back of her palm.

"Does it hurt?" he asked her again.

She shook her head, much to his relief. Carefully, he wrapped it up and said, "Let me know if anything changed. For now, you should keep it under wraps. We don't want any unwanted attention, understand?"

She nodded quietly before raising a brow, "Shingen?"

"He's currently resting right now." The werewolf responded casually with a small smile, "We've been rather busy these past couple of weeks. So, it's been a while."

"Oh."

She nodded, "So, don't disturb him?"

He nodded back and patted her head, "Yes. I know you're bored, but bear with it for today, all right?"

She nodded her head again quietly, "Then… Can I borrow some more books?"

"I believe I might have a couple, though they're a little boring." Masatoyo responded hesitantly.

She shook her head, "That's fine."

"You really like to read." Masatoyo commented with a small smile, "Do you often do this back in your world too?"

She nodded, "After I stop going to school, I went to the public library and homeschooled myself."

"You stopped going to school?"

Masatoyo raised a brow and turned to her curiously, "But, I remember Yuzuki say that your education in your country is supposed to have been provided for you till the age of eighteen or so, right?"

"My mother told me to stop going to school before I was ten." She replied bluntly, "So, I stopped going to school and homeschool myself."

Masatoyo had a strange expression on his face as he responded, "I see. That's very admirable. It's rather difficult to homeschool yourself without a teacher. Have you ever thought about going back to school?"

Rachel thought for a bit before shaking her head, "I don't know. None of the other students or teachers spoke with me, and I've always kept up with my lessons. So, I don't believe it'd make much of a difference. Also, Zack still needs me."

Masatoyo hummed in thought before nodding his head, "Well… I understand…"

That night, she thought back to what had occurred that night as the image of Masatoyo's facial expression returned to her mind. It looked as though he wanted to convince her but couldn't. Was it really beneficial for her to return to school? Moreover, she illegally immigrated to Japan and obtained a false identification. Could she enter school with that? She thought about it for a while. Shingen wasn't present during dinner that day either, so she wasn't certain what was going on in his mind. But, it wasn't like she was right most of the time. However, she really want to go and find Zack. Speaking of which, Masanobu and Nobuharu wasn't around much today either since they had gone in search of the ravine. Again, she prayed that Zack would be safe.

A week passed. Rachel was reading in the gardens when she felt a hand on her head. Curious, she looked up.

"Shingen." She muttered in surprise, "Good morning."

"Good morning." He replied with a small smile as he took a seat next to her on the wood floor, "Reading again?"

She nodded, "Masatoyo got me a new book yesterday."

"Really?" He raised a brow, "How is it?"

"I like it." She replied bluntly, "It's a good book."

Shingen chuckled, "If you liked it that much, we should've taught you how to read earlier. That reminds me. Normally, your raven friend would be upset by now just from touching your head."

"He left to find some food." Ray responded, "He didn't have his fill this morning and we can't always feed him rice balls."

"That's true…" Shingen nodded understandingly before looking to her, "Can you show me your hand?"

She nodded. Giving the hand with the gem, she let him inspect it as Masatoyo and the others had before him. Once again, she was questioned her health and any changes to her after the gem was found stuck into her. Again, the answers were the same. With a nod, he wrapped it back up and said, "If anything happens, let us know right away."

She nodded silently till she noticed the concerned look on his face and nodded again, "Okay." Seeing him let her go with a nod, she continued to read her book in silence, or at least she tried. However, a thought continued to bug her as she thought long and hard on something else. Finally, curiosity got the best of her, "Shingen?"

The man looked to her with a raised brow as she continued, "When I was kidnapped and was trying to free the prisoners, the nice lady wanted me to run instead. Back when I got hurt, the Date treated my leg and moved me to the castle. Then, when I hurt myself at this cliff, Uesugi took me in as prisoner but treated my wounds and saved me. I don't understand…"

It was a question she had been contemplating for a long time, but, no matter how or how much she thought, she couldn't understand it at all.

"Why is it that they treat me as such when they know I'm not from their territory?" She questioned curiously, "Is it… pity? Or another emotion?"

There was a long silence before the man looked back up. Then, he turned to her making certain that she was listening and sighed, "That's a really deep question… Maybe it is, but I think that some of them could only be that they were worried about you as a child. Maybe… What you're confused on isn't emotions. It sounds like you're confused on human morals. Yes, that sounds about right?"

"Human morals?" She thought for a while, "Like helping someone in need?"

"That's one of them." Shingen nodded though hesitantly, "People from the Gekka tribe and humans all follow their own morals. I heard that you're a religious person, Ray?"

She thought carefully, "I've read the bible…"

"That's one of the ways they teach you right from wrong." Shingen explained, "I'm not really religious, but what's important for every children is learning right from wrong and understanding the impact behind your own actions… Emotions and morals are kind of one of the things that helps us make decisions aside from facts and theories. It's common logic that you should help someone, especially children."

"Is it because they're the next generation?" She responded curiously.

"That's one of the reasons." Shingen responded as he tries to find a clearer explanation, "They're… also someone we sympathize because we were all children once and want to help them when they are in need. Y-yeah… I thought they'd say something like this in those bibles you read."

Ray didn't respond. She remembered what the bible said. She remembered it clearly. If what Shingen said was true, then she had learnt right from wrong the first day she picked up the book.

"Why?" Ray frowned, "Why is it that nobody ever taught me that before? If it was so important to learn, why didn't they explain that in school?"

It was upsetting that she had only just realized that her situation would have all been avoided if only someone had explained it to her about morals. They only "taught", but never "explained". If that happened, would she have understood why her parents were so noisy? No. What mattered more was that she understood from the bible that she had "sinned". Not only did she took a life, but she also altered appearances given by God. That her action was wrong, rather or not God was alive. If Zack hadn't been there, would she had searched endlessly for her "God" only to be utterly disappointed? Since the day she picked up that book, she understood the heavy weight of guilt on her chest. Of the consequences of her action being immoral. However, being with Zack, she also understood that what she feared was being rejected by God, but being rejected and not missed in life and death. The only one who ever accepted her have only been Zack.

"Does everyone else…" she hesitated before continuing, "Do they feel guilt too when they make a mistake?"

The werewolf froze when she asked this much to her confusion before he nodded, "We are all capable of feeling guilt, Ray, and we have to cope with the feeling on our own ways. Sometimes, we can't do it on our own and need help from others."

Surprised, Ray responded quietly, "Zack… helped me when I learned that god wasn't real or when the priest said that my oath wouldn't be accepted. If it wasn't for Zack… I probably wouldn't have realized what I actually wanted..."

It was finally coming together now. It didn't make much sense, but it somehow fit. she felt a hand on her head and looked up to Shingen, who gave her a small smile and said, "It looks like this Zack person actually has been watching over you too…"

She nodded quietly in agreement. After a couple moments of silence, she finally spoke, "Shingen… Can I… go to the ravine with everyone else? I want to see Zack. If you let me go, I'll try harder not to... worry others."

There was a tense moment of silence. Seconds or even minutes passed before Shingen heaved a small sigh and responded, "You _are _already well-known for being too reckless."

She turned to Shingen with a deep breath that was nearly taken back when she noticed the sharp gaze of the werewolf that nearly bore into her. It wasn't like the other times when he was slightly laidback and had a smile on his face, though not always so carefree. There wasn't a smile on his face either. Rather, he wore a firm look over his face as he stared at her. She then recalled that she had never seen him take action on the battlefield before and almost forgotten that he was also one of the leaders in the Gekka Tribe. However, Toyotomi and Yukimura weren't exceptions either. With a deep breath, she continued, "If I get hurt again, Zack would also get mad that I let someone hurt me while he wasn't around. Also, I don't want Zack to act recklessly and get hurt too..."

Hearing this, the leader's eyes narrow as Ray stood there biting back the nervous feeling in her. No matter what, she wants to go back to Zack's side again. Minutes passed from what seemed like a couple to five or ten minuteswhen Shingen's face finally gave way to hesitation and finally he sighed in defeat, "Fine… I'll have someone stay by your side since you can't fight, but you can't act on your own without permission."

She nodded firmly with a small smile as the stress in her body began to fade, "I understand… Thank you."

Shingen seemed to have froze again before he hummed to himself and looked back up at the sky, "If anything occurs with the jewel, report it to us immediately. Don't act on your own and don't leave on your own without permission. We won't be alone, but all three armies of our alliance moving to one place is going to attract a lot of attention, especially since there won't be a fight. We'll already be attracting a lot of attention from other armies, and we know that a couple of them won't just sit still and wait."

"Okay." She nodded firmly as the memories of the previous battle came back to her. This time, she can't dawdle. Thinking thus, she thought of the woman's words and the messages she had received. She finally asked, "Did you hear about the messages from Yukimura?"

He nodded.

"The message say 'into the night', but night is a dangerous time…" Ray muttered in confusion as she closed her book.

Shingen tapped her shoulder, "In the first place, we don't know if the writer is a good person or not. So, you shouldn't trust everything you see."

"Is that so? I see…" She nodded in understanding.

He raised a brow, "Did you ever received messages like these before?"

She nodded quietly, "I'd receive them under my desk at school or in letters. I'd read them to Zack and he'd tell me to ignore it. That it wasn't important."

Shingen hummed to himself quietly before nodding his head, "How long have you know this person called Zack?"

"When I was ten." she replied.

"So, you've known each other for six years now…" Shingen muttered quietly, "Then, you've always been together?"

She shook her head, "Sometimes, I need to work at a small general store or purchase things for us. Because, Zack's appearance would gather too much attention and the old man was blind, I often went out by myself. But, I'd often read letters to them because I don't know what should be done in another country or how to pay bills."

"I think I can picture the situation now…" Shingen muttered with a difficult expression on his face. Once again, Ray was unable to tell what the generals think.

* * *

That night after Ray left for bed, a tall blond werewolf took a peek into the room as he noticed the girl fast asleep in her futon.

"Looks like she's fast asleep." Masakage responded with a weary yawn, "She's been running around the garden all day looking at plants and picking herbs with Masatoyo."

Masanobu smiled as he silently closed the door softly and nodded his head, "She's around the same age as you. It just means that she's healthy. I heard from Masatoyo that she's been responding better."

"Really?" Masakage grumbled, "But, I'm not a kid…"

"She also had a long conversation with Shingen-sama today, apparently." He noted with a chuckle, "Nobuharu also gathered some food for her little friend the other day. I guess he will have to pass it on to her tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, huh?" Masakage grumbled.

Masanobu frowned, "Ah. We'll take her with us to the ravine."

"I know." Masakage grumbled, "Just leave her to me."

"Also, don't let her pick any plants this time." Masanobu warned him with a frown.

"Yeah, I got it..." Masakage grumbled as he folded his arms and slowly sighed, "I heard that woman will be coming too?"

The blond werewolf nodded, "Yes. She will be traveling with the Toyotomi army tomorrow."

"She's only just returned from the Yakuma nest and now we're heading to who knows where." Masakage growled in irritation, "Is she not afraid of death or something?"

Masanobu raised a brow and frowned deeper before looking to the closed door, "We know she's not like that. That's why I believe the reason must be for her."

Masakage paused as his voice was soundless. Unable to respond, he bit his lip and turned around to sit on the wooden floor in silence. Once again, it was for that girl. Thinking back to how tense the atmosphere in the castle had been before her return, he grew more irritated but, strangely, he didn't have the will to voice it out nor say it to her face. It definitely wasn't because he was afraid of her like the other children in town. He didn't know what it was, but it definitely wasn't fear. Still, it troubled him greatly without a doubt and he hated it. At least, he was certain that he could achieve his mission tomorrow and guard her well from those incoming monsters.

On the other hand, Masanobu was uncertain as to why his superior wanted the young werewolf to undertake the mission as he would sometimes get to passionate in a fight and could get the young girl into one unintentionally. She was young and weak without a doubt. If she had no methods of protecting herself, she would've gotten herself killed on numerous occasions. From her accounts in the Date Territory and Uesugi territory, those generals had a good perspective of her capabilities shortly after arriving. The fact that she had her hands on such a poisonous plant with her knowledge was a fault that lay on him and Masatoyo for not strictly supervising her during the journey…

And for taking her knowledge too lightly. They had thought that she was a miraculous young girl, not a potential assassin. Such thoughts could one day harm her and perhaps her mentality in the future. It was clear that she lacked morality the first few weeks she'd spent with them. From now on, they need to be more careful with her growth, which was why he wanted to object to letting Masakage protecting her. Though the young werewolf was fearless, he could sometimes be careless. Still, it wasn't all that bad. At least, he can only hope they would be prepared for tomorrow despite not knowing the situation of that ravine…

The ravine was much like a canyon. It was so deep and well-hidden that it even surprised them how an entire village disappeared on that spot, yet nobody had been able to report it to them. There was no end to the depth of the place, but there were definite records of there having been a small village in the place before there had been a supposed quake that happened a while ago. Thinking back, Shingen and Masanobu noticed that it had been around the time that Ray said she had been supposedly taken to the Uesugi army. However, there was another disturbing matter. Across from their side of the ravine were a few figures. Figures that looked to be human from afar. However other figures that had peculiar features. If that was certain, they'd need to have second thoughts of bringing the young girl with them.

* * *

"Something scary must've happened to you..."

What was that? They couldn't hear clearly…

"My name is Danny." The man with the white coat and gleaming glasses introduced himself under the bright lights, "I'm your counselor."

The man smiled at him, "Could you tell me what happened to you?"

They scowled and glared at the so-called counselor bending down before them as if they were a child. Yet, their eyes closed softly as the vision grew hazy. It was as if all they could see was what the man wore. Never the eyes. when they opened their eyes again, they found themselves in the same seat but facing a door and a chair that face them in turn. It wasn't anything like a sliding door, but-

They suddenly stood up and muttered in bewilderment, "Where am I?"

They paused. There voice sounded awfully soft and rather high pitched. their vision spun as they turned around to the only source of light. It looked like a winder with a large image of the moon shining down over them. Yet it didn't felt right.

"What a pretty blue moon," they responded unintentionally, "but it looks like a fake blue moon."

As if remembering something, they turned to the door and walked towards it, "I need to hurry back to Mom and Dad."

Bewildered and caught off guard, they were unable to move according to their will and forced to watch reluctantly. They opened the cold, metal door and peered outside expectating to see something only to be caught by surprise by the sight of the cold and dark corridor.

_I came to a hospital…_

_this isn't it._

"This isn't the same hospitable as before…" She muttered softly.

Fear and confusion sat in their hearts as they took in their surroundings with great concentration. the interior were made of stone and metal. Numerous of strange devices were hanging from the walls. Though they don't know what it was for, they felt as if they knew that these things were watching them from it. watching and drawing out their every movement like a moving picture that imitates their actions from a distance. And, behind those pictures was someone. Someone they don't know. It was a bizarre concept, but one that they felt made sense in them as they were taken back in fear and wariness. Yet, as they peered down the hall, they noticed a strange piece of writing etched into the stone wall. eager to leave and return home, they hurried over to it curiously. the words were curved and were certainly foreign to them, yet in their hearts they were able to decipher it as they read aloud, "_Who really are you? You should ask yourself."_

Remembering the rest of the words on the wall, they turned to the other door next to them and opened it curiously whilst thinking on the rest of the article.

_Who am I? The real myself or the one I believe to be? An angel? Or a sacrifice? Know yourself and new doors will open._

After seeing the message, a dark premonition sat in their minds as the girl walked into the empty room. Inside the room was a large mirror on the wall and a strange device on the table. Confused, she walked closer to the mirror and muttered at their own reflection, "The same me as always…"

Suddenly, the device below them began moving as small words began to form.

_What's your name?_

"Ra… Ra-!"

* * *

Her eyes flew open as she breathed heavily. Her heart pounded as cold sweat poured down her face and palms. Slowly, she sat up in confusion and looked around as she noticed the light in the room. It was barely morning when she noticed that Masakage had opened the door. the figure walked over to her and stared at her with a raised brow, "Are you okay?"

She was about to respond, but there was a cold pressure on her forehead as the werewolf frowned, "Not sick… Well, it's time to wake up. You should hurry and get ready."

Slowly, she nodded as she realized that she wasn't in the basement anymore…

No, this was the surface. Another world, but Zack was not next to her…

When she walked out the gates with Masakage, the teenage wolf grabbed her shoulder and grumbled, "So, I'll be babysitting you today. Don't pick up anything poisonous this time, got it?"

She nodded silently. With help, she was able to get on the horse as she looked around and realized that they were the only ones present and, by that, she meant that there was no soldiers other than the general and commanders. She assumed that they really went as they planned this morning and had the soldiers stationed in the castle to protect it. With this, they were off with Shingen and the other commanders to this so-called ravine.

* * *

**YueTian: Hi! It's been a long time! Honestly, I was stuck in a writers block for the majority of the fanfics I've written so far, so I've been jumping around. It wasn't until the other day that I just gathered some more ideas from outside and while writing other fanfics. I've written a couple of new ones, Like _The Beastmaster And The Wizards,_** **and _FE Crossroads of Time. _I've also started using Wattpad after learning that Fanfic's Doc Manager over my documents weren't as good and I often find a few words gone from them which would only make my chapters more confusing. My account on Wattpad is Faura Fen. I've been working on The Beastmaster fanfic there for a while now and its not that bad. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter though. It's really been a while and I had to reread my own documents to understand the gist of my own plot and what I was going for. I'll probably have to go for more chemistry and medical stuff to figure out Ray's next move though. Also, I think I'm getting better and making characters move according to my vision of how they should act according to their personalities. However, it still cringes me when I think of something they'd do outside of their character for good reasons behind it. Another, I'm so sad that they closed the app game verson of Sengoku Night Blood! T-T It _was _running for two years, but they haven't even finished season two and ended it not long after starting it! NOOO! T-T Anyway, I'll try to get another chapter done eventually. Thank you to everyone who came back to read this story again! I hope you would continue to look forward to another chapter update! Also, Happy (Belated) New Years! As well as Happy Chinese New Years (On 1/25/2020)! XD**

* * *

_**1/12/2020 5:31 PM**_


	8. Chapter 8: Another World, Parallel World

Another World, Parallel World

_"__A large ravine appeared during the last quake?"_

_The general raised a brow after hearing the report from the two. The blond werewolf nodded. They watched as the leader questioned, "Wasn't there a village near the border?"_

_"__According to nearby villagers, the village is actually on the border where all of the territories intersect. It only began a few years ago. However, the recent earthquake swallowed the entire village down the ravine when we checked. Apparently, there were also a large number of fallen trees on the path that leads to the borders."_

_"__An entire village disappeared…" Shingen thought aloud. _

_As if reading his thoughts, Masanobu nodded. The timing was too perfect. When they heard of the ravine, they were doubtful of its existence though they've heard that there were some in Date and Uesugi territories, but never one between the borders. That was until recently. _

_"__Tomorrow," Shingen stated, "we're going to do an inspection of the area."_

_He turned to Masakage, "Ray will come with us. Masakage, you will guard her during then."_

_"__Wha-?!" the teenage's eyes widen in disbelief but was cut off when he noticed all eyes on him forcing him to nod reluctantly, "Y-Yes!" _

_"__,Shingen-sama, you've changed your mind?" Masanobu looked to him in surprise. _

_Shingen nodded, "Ray is reckless, but… This time, we'll bring her with us. In the change that we do encounter another army she won't be noticed immediately. We'll bring her with us, then."_

_Masanobu felt that there would be other reasons but decided not to voice them. Instead, their meeting continued for a long time before it drew to a close. As soon as he left the door, he made he searched for Masatoyo only for the commander to surprise him from behind… again._

_"__If anything happened while you were gone?" Masatoyo hummed after hearing his question, "Nothing much changed for better or worse, but… Oh, if it's regarding his decision to bring Ray, he had a long talk with her this morning. It looked as though she asked some difficult questions today. Something about morals, he said. It seems that she has finally taken an interest in emotions too."_

_"__She's changing…" Masanobu muttered with a satisfied smile. Yes. He recalled when they first found the child. It was the first major yakuma extermination in a long while when they stumbled upon the Sanada ninja's patrol returning from a battle of their own with the same creatures. During then, the two had been busy treating their own injured soldiers that it had been difficult for them to take in the child. It had only been by luck that they encountered Shingen's group when they did and passed the child onto them. At first, Masanobu had assumed that the child was found on the Sanada territory, but who would've thought that it was a child that they found fainted on Takeda territory after crossing from Uesugi territory. The child was unusual. She wasn't a Gekka tribe member, but had beautiful blond hair that stood out amongst the darker color hair color of humans. Yet, the child was a human and a young teenager around the same age as their youngest commander. Still, being only a child, she was immediately brought back to camp where they treated her. Minor scrapes here and there while powder covered her. She wore strange attire that strikingly reminded them of Yuzuki and, when she awoke, have the pretty blue eyes too. Yet, those eyes looked vacant and unresponsive. The person herself was just as unresponsive and lethargic. They had thought that it would be due to the powder used on her, but who would've thought the child have a much different circumstance. Her vacant eyes and lack of response often worried them. Not just that, an army was no place to care for a girl, much less a young woman. After finding Yuzuki, it was decided that they would send her back to Sanada territory and explain this much with them as the Toyotomi army already has Yuzuki who would be treating them. As cruel as it sounds, Ray, however, wasn't in the same position. Though she has knowledge with plants, the fact that she's just as knowledgeable with poison also makes it concerning to let her treat soldiers who would eventually uncover the fact that she's capable of using poison. That would only lead to strong opposition which doesn't help that she also lacks empathy. It was by Yuzuki and the general of Toyotomi's army that they sought to bring her to the Sanada Territory. Something about rural area would help her develop better or that it'd be safer for her? Little did they know that she would be attacked again when they weren't around. However, during then, there were also a lack of messages sent between the two territories. He supposed that the fact that they were even able to talk with the Sanada territory all has to do with their friendlier relations in comparison to other territories around them. But, no matter where she went, they weren't certain how the child have been, especially after the kidnapping, or if she was getting any better. Instead, she returned with an interest in books and occupied her time with reading. It was only then that he finally had his suspicions were confirmed. The child was talented. He felt that way the moment he felt that she hadn't emptied out the bag of poison plants after Masatoyo told her not to pick up anything she didn't know. Yet, she still reached for Yew leaves. He had hoped that he was hallucinating, so he gave her another warning just in case. She was lucky that she didn't listen then, but the fact that she poisoned someone intentionally without guilt was troubling. In fact, it was one of the reasons Shingen grounded her that day. However, neither of them felt comfortable telling her that other reason and, luckily, Yuzuki didn't know or it'd hurt her emotionally. To her, the child was only a little girl. So, when Masanobu was about to leave for a mission, he left a couple of books he felt would be crucial to her development. If she was able to feel even the slightest guilt after reading a bible and poison someone around her age, there would be the chance that she would also learn some morality. Fortunately, she indeed noticed it when he left it in Masatoyo's care before he left. Yet, he never expected that their superior would be the one to answer her questions for them. It was certainly a surprise when he heard Masatoyo tell him that. Speaking of which, what was their general doing in the garden with her anyway? It couldn't be…_

_Thinking thus, he frowned in concern again. _

"Masanobu?"

He looked next to him and saw Ray looking up to her as the water from the river overflowed the bamboo container.

"Oh!" He stepped back in surprise and attempted to close the container shut tight, "I apologize for that. What was it, Ray?"

"That's unusual." Masakage stated with a raised brow, "You don't space out too often, Masanobu."

"Ah. Something not too important was lingering." He replied casually and looked over to Ray after putting away the container, "Now, what was it again?"

"Shingen said that if anything bad happens that I should stay with you and Nobuharu and Masatoyo said that you're also called the 'run-away' commander." She stated curiously, "Why do they call you that?"

"Well," He smiled, "you could say that I'm pretty good at making retreat tactics for the army."

"See? I told you." Masakage grumbled.

"But," She frowned in confusion, "why retreats?"

"Not all battles can be won easily. Sometimes a strategic retreat is also necessary." He replied vaguely, "If there was a sudden ambush, the ambush could change the flow of the battle. So, sometimes, retreats are necessary, but they could be difficult if we are chased by our enemy when we have our backs turned. Planning strategic retreats can also be a part of the plans sometimes."

It was general, but it definitely wasn't a lie. Masakage shrugged, "Out of all of us, Masanobu is better at these tactics than the rest of us."

"Um…" she thought for a bit before asked, "I'm confused about the ranks in the armies…"

"Ranks?" Masanobu raised a brow.

She nodded, "When I talked with Hideyoshi, he said that he was a supreme commander, but I was told that he was a general. Yukimura also didn't say much..."

Masakage nearly had a coughing fit as soon as the words left her mouth. As if catching on, Masanobu sighed and patted her head, "He was just fooling around with you."

"Fooling around?" Ray raised a brow as Masanobu patted her head.

"Yes." he chuckled, "Because you look much younger than your age, he probably felt like teasing you. Yukimura probably didn't know how to respond when he did that too. All of us are commanders on the battlefield, but there's only one general who is also called the Supreme Commander. Just think of it as another name for General."

Masakage responded as he fell to the ground in exasperation, "Geez! I didn't think Toyotomi's general would fool you this badly."

"Hideyoshi is the general and supreme commander of the Toyotomi army." Masanobu responded, "We're currently in an alliance with them and Sanada army, but that doesn't mean we can go through their borders whenever we want. But, we were able to let you stay with the Sanada Army for a good while."

Masakage sighed, "That's because they were once a part of our army, so it makes sense we'd be on a better relation than the other."

"Once a part of?" Ray muttered in confusion.

Masanobu nodded, "You could say that some of us were old friends with them. That's why they brought you over to us when they had some matters to take care of. Well, you were originally found on Takeda territory, so they left you to use then. Now..."

He patted her head again, "Try not to get that mixed up in the future or it'd cause big problems for you, okay?"

She had a curious expression on her before she nodded her head in silence.

"Damn it…" Masakage grumbled with a scowl, "Already fooled by a general in less than two months."

"She hasn't known him for that long and neither do we." Masanobu responded with a shrug, "This is only a small joke played on her. You just need to clarify it to her."

Thinking back, she really had started to change a little. Since when had she started getting this interested in things other than books or where this Zack person is?

After talking with Masanobu, Ray looked around the area a little more with Masakage trailing behind her. They had been traveling for a while now and only finally were able to take a short break. She was looking down upon a purple flower. Seeing the flower cause Ray to tilt her head as she bend down for a closer look. All of a sudden, a hand yanked her back as she looked up. Masakage glared down on her in irritation with a scowl across his face, "You… Didn't I said not to pick up anything?!"

"I didn't." She shook her head, "It's just this flower… There's only one Nightshade around here."

Masakage grumbled but sighed as he pulled her up, "How would I know... Come on."

Saying this, he turned around, "We probably need to get back right now."

"Okay." She nodded before walking after him.

* * *

After riding for a while, she soon began to notice that it was close to evening when they made another stop. This time, it was at a village close to where the ravine would be. However…

"Still no luck?" Masanobu asked Masatoyo and Masakage this as they shook their head.

Masakage groaned in annoyance frowned, "It wasn't like this the last time you came here, right?"

Ray was watching their conversation curiously with the raven in her lap. It was probably due to her looks or something, but numerous people just either stared at her or rushed away. Perhaps it was because of her foreign appearance that it made it difficult to find a place to stay for the night? She learned this during her stay in Japan. Though some could care less, there were still many who often pointed out her appearance being foreign and would come under some prejudice, but those social attacks weren't as bad as here when the people openly stared at her rather than took her as any regular girl. She heard that it was due to her hair being of different color. She had already done her search with Shingen a long time ago and returned. Now she was sharing a stick of sweets with the raven who cheerfully gulped down the dango.

"Oh, looks like everyone is back already."

She looked up and saw Nobuhara return with a thin smile.

"Nobuhara!" Masakage looked up, "Were you able to find any open Inn?"

The man shook his head with a frown, "Nope. But, a nearby shopkeeper told me that there were a number of foreigners roaming around the place and some occupied those Inns."

"Foreigners?" Masanobu frowned, "Why would there be…?"

"Can it be those from the other armies?" Masakage assumed with a growl.

"It's understandable for there to be foreigners hear the border, but it's not as simple to identify them without the passports." Shingen said with a raised brow.

Masanobu nodded, "If they could be easily identified as foreigners, they must look foreign then. This town isn't small to begin with. So, it's unlikely that everyone would recognize the other."

"Or they could just be average foreigners?" Masakage raised a brow, "But…"

It was needless to say that, despite bringing up that last possibility, Ray saw that the short werewolf was doubting his own idea while giving it some thoughts. It was times like these that she sometimes noticed how many would trust this retainer's thoughts. She had thought this before, but they really do trust each other very much.

"Could they be like Yuzuki and the child?" Masatoyo questioned much to their surprise.

"One of the Inn is currently taking care of a couple of children." Nobuhara responded with a frown, "One with red hair and another with this strange blue hair, but they're not vampires."

That'd make sense. If they don't have wolf ears and tail, they'd keep an eye on the ears. She recalled the slightly pointy ears on those commanders in Hideyoshi's army. Their ears weren't as pointy as those in advertisements of horror movies, but they'd still be enough to catch some attention. Curious, she glanced over to Shingen's direction. The general seemed to have been in thought for a while before he began, "Did they have any trouble with payment?"

"What I do know is that they paid quite a bit for two rooms." The man responded with a hum.

Masakage frowned, "They didn't end up buying up the entire Inn, right?"

Masanobu sighed, "They were able to afford rooms, which means-"

"Eek!"

Without warning, the tray of sweet dangos suddenly flipped into the air and landed on top of a young girl with gold pig-tails.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Alle!"

A teenage boy and girl rushed over to the young girl who was struggling to get up.

"S-Sis!" the girl rushed over to the teenage girl frantically, "Wh-What do I do?! Their food…"

As the elder girl tries to console the younger one, the boy hurries over to them and bowed his head deeply, "We deeply apologize for the mess. I'll purchase another one for you."

"Wah…" Masakage sighed, "What great timing…"

Ray nodded. The young girl, though covered in the brown sugary substance of the dango, was in a yellow turtle neck shirt, black stocking and red skirt. At the very least, she managed to keep her leather boots clean. In all, she looked like your average little girl. Meanwhile, the sister and the boy…

The sister was in this unusual blue dress with a skirt that ended a little above the knee but flowed a little to the back of the knee. It had long sleeves, a thin white belt and short white cape, which all hid under a gray hood cape. White stocking covered the exposed skin of her legs and was followed with tall blue leather boots. Then, the boy also wore blue jeans, black leather boots, and a black hoodie. A broadsword hung on his leather belt.

In all, it was screaming otherworldly…

However, what caught their attention the most was the silver hair sticking out from their hoods. The girl's silver hair was neatly hidden under the white hood. However, if you look closely, you could see the silver bangs sticking out from under it as the boy's messy silver hair was a poking out like hay stuffed into a bag, yet little bits of red stuck out from the bangs. Their eyes had this unique light gray in them as the young girl's teary eyes were a pretty green. Nothing like her blue?

Clearly, they were foreigners.

The boy, having heard Maskage's words, turned to look around nervously as everyone immediately began to take notice of the foreigners interacting with the leader. The girl quickly pulled her little sister under her cape nervously as the boy frowned.

"It's fine." Shingen suddenly responded with a smile and got up after paying for the snack and the broken dish.

Masakage pulled Ray over to his side as she watched Masatoyo hand the little girl a handkerchief.

"Are you all right?" He whispered quietly.

The child took it and nodded with a small smile, "Y-Yes. Thank you!"

"Lark…" the older sister whispered after quietly thanking Masatoyo.

"My apologies." The boy frowned, "We need to get going. Are you sure that we don't need to pay for the sweets?"

"It's fine." Shingen repeated with a nod, "Instead, there's something we'd like to ask you."

The boy raised a brow as the girl hugged her younger sister tighter, who in turn did the same. There was a sense of urgency in the air to which Ray felt slightly unsettled. The Raven on her also shuffled its feathers as it stared at them with beady eyes. Ray knew they were trying to get away from something, and it made her more curious and a little worried.

"How about let's go talk inside?" Masanobu suggested with a small smile.

Shingen nodded with a smile as the boy looked back to the girls and nodded back to him.

Inside the small sweets shop was a simple wooden building with tables and benches and menu in traditional handwritten Shinga words. They took up a couple of isolated benches. Ray sat next to the little girl who stared at her and the raven curiously while stuffing her face with sweet bean soup. She could hear and see the conversation of the teenager with Shingen and Masanobu from afar with the rest of the retainers.

"My name's Takeda Shingen." Shingen began, "This is Kousaka Masanobu."

"My name is Lark Pheo." The boy responded casually.

"I'm Lily Pheo. His younger twin." The teenage girl introduced herself as she gestured to her sister, "That is Allegra. Our youngest sibling."

Shingen nodded and said firmly, "Let's get to the point. We were trying to find a few rooms at an Inn, but, in the couple of days my retainers were gone, the Inns and taverns were full. Mostly of foreigners. Do you know what's going on?"

Alarmed, Lily glanced over to her brother nervously before Lark frowned with a troubled expression, "That's…"

There was a moment of silence as Masanobu frowned, "It would seem that something _had_ occurred…"

Shingen was silent for a while before he hinted quietly, "Maybe… from another world?"

It was then that Ray noticed the little girl stick a stick of dango before her and smiled, "Want one? It's really good!"

Looking at the child, Ray assumed she was probably no more than ten as she smiled at Ray with a wide grin before trying to feed the raven the same thing only for it to be snatched up by Masakage who frowned, "If you feed the bird that, it won't even be able to swallow it."

"Oh…" the girl responded cluelessly, "Then, you can try it!"

"Huh?!" the teenage werewolf raised a brow in bewilderment.

"It's _really_ good, you know!" the little girl cheered.

"Obviously." Masakage grumbled before turning away, "I've had it a bunch of times before."

"...run."

Ray turned to the conversation curiously as Lily continued with a frown, "We were told to run away and hide ourselves."

Shingen raised a brow as he said, "Can you clarify yourselves?"

Lark nodded in defeat, "My sisters and I lived on a foreign land with the rest of our family. Lily and I were apprentices under an acquaintance of the family. Everyday, we learn how to spiritually connect with the land and utilize our abilities and skills. Our job was to maintain certain flows of energy on earth. You could say we're something similar to priest or priestess who can use magic."

"In another world?" Masanobu clarified after noticing Ray's raised brow in confusion.

Ray was surprised when she noticed Lily glance over to her in surprise. The strange girl shook her head, "There are many worlds in the universe. She only came from a parallel one to yours. We came from another, though we lack the ability to clarify the actual location..."

Lark nodded, "It's unbelievable, we know. But, our teacher had the ability to tell. We're of the lesser rank and lack the power to do so. One day, there was a strange shift of energy in our world and a few people suddenly appeared in our world. We tried to associate with them at first but soon learned that they weren't really good people. However, they were favored by someone at the top. In less than three days, we were kept away from certain places of our base. Eventually, many of us were confined into a cave to train constantly."

"Many of you?" Shingen questioned.

Lily nodded, "All of us aren't choosers of what we do. We were born into the role and brought together at a young age. So, in all, there's over a hundred of us. Some younger than five. Our siblings hid the three of us for five years after they got found much later than the others. So, we only started out training a year ago."

"If that were true, what about your parents?" Masanobu said as he stared at them emotionless.

"We don't know what happens to the others' parents." Lily responded, "We are orphans, and our older siblings are the ones who have always raised us after our father passed."

Lark frowned, "It was our sisters and teacher who helped us escape from the cave in secret. They told us the day and time to sneak out of the cave. They gave us everything we needed and we snuck into this world by ourselves. My sister told us to hide ourselves in this world and be careful not to trouble the inhabitants, but…"

"One of your friends already messed that up." Shingen concluded as he crossed his arms in exasperation.

Lily nodded, "We were told to keep a low profile, so we wanted to go into the forest. There are some who have never left the base to the outside world, so they aren't familiar with the idea of hiding in forest and such."

Wearily, Lark sighed, "You can choose not to believe us. We're only here after hearing the situation from a passerby, so we can sort out the problem our fellow apprentices have taken part in… and probably initiated."

Ray could barely keep up with the situation when Shingen responded, "Interesting. Then, I assume you recognize whose handiwork this is?"

"Not too well." Lily grimaced hesitantly, "There's… many of apprentices who aren't used to living independently… We're only hoping that this would be someone we are familiar with."

"And how do we know that what you're saying it true?" Masakage grumbled under his breath rather close behind Ray, "Ow!"

Ray turned around and saw Nobuharu shaking his head with a frown. Guess they weren't suppose to say anything. She looked back to the other table when she noticed that Lily already had a clean dango stick in hand.

"Lily?" Lark frowned.

Seconds later, something grew out of the stick. To Ray's surprise, it was a leaf! She heard Lily took a deep breath and responded nervously, "W-Would this suffice, Mister Shingen?"

Masanobu looked to Shingen before back to the other retainers. Ray couldn't say anything as she watched this. She turned to Masakage whose jaws dropped speechlessly.

"That's enough." Shingen responded firmly before stretching out a hand, "Can I have a closer look?"

Lily nodded and handed the stick to him. Shingen moved the stick about and frowned before turning to them, "If other territories know of this, they could decide to take your friends and have them used for war."

Lark nodded, "We knew of the dangers before we fled through the gates. Hence, we want to gather them as many and as quickly as possible. Before we got found, but..."

Lark frowned as he stared at Shingen hesitantly, "You're… one of the warlords, aren't you?"

Shingen raised a brow and smiled, "That's right. You have only realized this now?"

Lily looked up at them before turning to her brother quickly, "Lark, wh-what do you mean?"

Lark sighed and grumbled, "Lily, you tell me who else would name a child after a warlord word for word. It's only certain we've traveled to a time and place where the warring states occurred…"

Alarmed, Lily stared at the two before them before glancing over to the others then quickly looked back in bewilderment. Shingen stared at them in amusement, "I guess we are popular in your world too?"

"The war to unify the lands…" Lark grumbled and nodded, "That's right. But…"

He clearly stared at his wolf ears and muttered, "They… were human versions… Pardon me, but those are real, right?"

Shingen glanced over to Ray and smiled wider, "Yes."

Speaking of which, she didn't think of asking Shingen or the others about who they were from their weird appearances. It was mostly Yukimura and the others from Date's army that did most of the explaining since she brought it up. She somehow vaguely recalling Yuzuki explaining it to her too. She just doesn't remember it all that clearly. Before she knew it, they had already finished talking and the girl, Allegra was already finished eating her sweets before they left the store. Because Nobuharu knew of the Inn, he brought them to the place where Lark helped write a letter and Masanobu helped had the Inn keeper bring it to the supposed two people just before night fall.

"I take it that you know them, then?" Shingen turned to Lark.

Lark nodded, "I have a good guess. We should call them out before things get worse."

"Worse?" Masatoyo frowned, "Like what?"

Lark hesitated nervously, "They often get into violent fights. It… could become explosive it if escalates."

"Then, why are they still traveling together?!" Masakage responded in bewilderment.

"I don't know." Lark sighed, "When we become apprentices, we're put into pairs and trained together. The fact that there was no rumors going around about them is reassuring enough."

"But why would they still travel together?" Lily hummed in thought.

"Do they get into really bad fights?" Rachel asked Lily in confusion.

Lily nodded, "They have fights over the simplest matters. Our elder siblings often had to step in and pull them apart."

"You know," Lark started with a frown, "I bet that they're traveling together either because our sisters told them to, or they just so happened to have gotten themselves stuck in this Inn due to the businesses. This isn't the first time this happened."

"Can you stop making assumptions already?! Geez!"

Sure enough, two teenage boys around Lark's height strolled out into the streets. One had long red hair tied into a loose ponytail and wore casual t shirt and blue jeans with leather boots. The other have a green shirt, black leather jacket, and blue jeans with black boots. On the red hair boy's back was a rather large blade in a gigantic scabbard. The boy with the short blue hair had his weapon wrapped in black cloth and both had them hanging from their back by another belt. The red hair boy's eyes widen in bewilderment when he saw Shingen and the retainers. He continued, "Hey! Didn't your sister said-! Ow!"

The blue hair boy quickly smacked the other across the back and growled with a cold glare, "Shut your mouth now, unless you want to give all of us away."

Harsh…

Lark smiled, "Let's not fight right now. Xue, you don't have to hit him that hard, right? We just got to this town just now too. So, could you guys tell us how you got here?"

The two raised a brow and glanced over to the other group when Lily spoke up, "They've already known about the existence of other worlds before we met them. So, it matters not. If you still doubt, how about I put up a barrier?"

"Lily, you've already used enough." Lark shook his head.

"It's fine." the blue hair boy, Xue, responded with a sigh and tapped his foot on the ground.

Suddenly, their entire surrounding was covered in a veil of cold mist. There was hardly anybody that could be clearly seen through the mist as Xue stated firmly, "I arrived here shortly before this buffoon did. Some fools most likely decided to stay at some inns instead of somewhere else and the result was overcrowded Inns. I came to get a room and kick them out before leaving, but this one tried to tackle me."

"How was I know that it was suppose to be you?!" the red hair boy snapped, "It's not like everyone will follow what we say."

"If you have a mouth to spout nonsense, use it to speak sensibly, then." Xue rebuked coldly before looking to them calmly, "And you three?"

"We came after hearing what happened from a traveler." Lily responded, "The two of us got worried and came to relieve the situation, but..."

"We got found by others who already knew about other worlds." Lark finished Lily's nervous sentence with a frown.

"What a coincidence… You just happened to run into a major warlord of all people!" the red hair boy grumbled as Lark finished introducing them and their side of the story.

They both ignored the red hair boy as Xue said with a frown and stared at Ray with a frown, "That black bird…"

The raven called out before turning away.

"Ah!" the red hair boy pointed at it, "It's you, you stinking crow!"

"No violence!" Allegra called out with puffy cheeks.

Hearing her, the boy retracted his hand quickly and nervously as he stammered, "R-right…"

"Anyway," Lily chuckled and turned to Ray and the group with a small nervous smile, "This is Agni and Xue. Close friends of ours."

Xue bowed his head with a strange hands gesture of one fist to an open palm as the other nodded his head in reluctant acknowledgement.

Ray thought quietly over how the two had been awfully strange in their behavior and personality when Xue responded to Shingen's words solemnly, "We deeply apologize for the trouble we've caused you and your group. We'll leave as soon as we finish dragging out our colleagues."

"Can we bring them out?" Lily asked with a grimace, "I don't want to be the negative one here, but there are some who could be rather…"

Xue nodded, "There's no other choice. If it's no use, I'll drive them out. This much commotion could have any effect to this world's flow of history."

"And, it's all because of those whining ghosts…" Agni grumbled.

"Ghosts?" Masanobu raised a brow.

"Some annoying ghosts who recklessly took the lives of others are often under our teacher's watch. However, there was a disturbance recently and a few really stubborn ones got out. You know, the ones that turned out to be really bad people." Agni said as thoughts of the supposed people the twins spoke of surfaced into Ray's mind, "Since then, nothing have been going right."

"Speaking of which, how's history flowing now?" Lark said with a plain look of concern much to Ray's confusion.

"Our teacher did a couple of changes she could before we left." Xue responded, "History will go according to plan with some minor deviations."

"However," Agni shuddered, "she acted like she was ready to murder someone that day. So, don't try to push her further with more favors."

"She? Her?" Masakage's eyes widen in bewilderment, "Your teacher's a wo-?!"

"Don't!" Agni responded quickly with wide eyes, "Just… don't finish that sentence, okay? I'd rather not make her any angrier…"

"R-Right." Lark responded with a frown as Xue surprisingly gave a nod of agreement.

"Anyway," Masanobu spoke up, "how do you plan to solve the situation?"

"You don't really plan to 'drive' them out right?" Masatoyo said with a frown much to their bewilderment in his sudden appearance.

"Drive them out…" Ray muttered in confusion.

Xue nodded, "Now that the two of you are here, it should be much easier now. You will go and speak with the few other apprentices that are still here in this town."

"I checked." Agni muttered, "There're about thirty or so of us here, aside from us obviously."

"Some would leave during the night." Xue added, "Others will try to remain hidden for as long as they can. If they're smart enough, they'd travel more than stay in one place for long."

"Uh huh." Masakage scowled, "And, how did you know that?"

"When one person has magic abilities, you can easily detect their presence in the air as long as you also are capable of magic." Lily responded, "Right now, the town in covered in a thick layer of multiple presences. At the moment, only Xue and Agni are capable of detecting individual presence because they have stronger abilities."

"Lark and Lily with persuade others to leave the Inns." Xue continued, "Then, we'll play some pranks on them to make them leave if they choose not to."

"You do realize that not many will be willing to listen to me, right?" Lark responded with a frown which sparked Ray's curiosity.

"They won't?" Ray questioned quietly.

"We have different thoughts." Lark responded vaguely.

Ray decided that it would probably be best not to push them further as Lark continued, "We'll gather those who's willing to come with us."

"So, what do you plan to do after gathering everyone?" Shingen questioned firmly, "Traveling in larger groups will also make you an easier target."

Lark nodded, "We know that there will be few willing to travel with us, but I'm still going to try and gather as many people as I can. We'll need to find a few places to hide at interval times."

"Territories have borders and identifications." Xue added with a frown, "You're suggesting something difficult, especially before the officials who is in charge of this whole place."

"Then, what do you suggest?" Agni scowled, "Hide under the earth again? Last time, we nearly suffocated."

"That was something you did without consulting with us." Xue responded.

As they argued back and forth, Ray felt a hand on her shoulder as she looked up and saw Masakage grumbled wearily, "People with powers like that go through some crazy things, huh…?"

Ray didn't know how to replied when Lily's voice suddenly broke through to her trance.

"Right. Right." Lily smiled quickly, "Then, let's just think of something else."

"Then, how about this?" Shingen said backing up Lily's idea, "You require a place to hide and we require help sorting out this irregular boom in business. If you help us sort out this mess by lowering the number of foreigners in this area, I'll think about lending you a temporary place to hide quietly."

"I guess we do know a few places…" Masatoyo raised a brow in bewilderment.

Masakage only turned to the side and remained quiet with a humph. She could guess that he wouldn't warm up to the idea of helping the strangers to this extent either.

"That'd sound promising." Lark nodded.

"But, can we do it?" Lily asked nervously.

"We will. At least, get as many as we can out of this town." Lark responded firmly.

Xue nodded, "It's too dangerous to get so close to the ravine, so this town isn't really as safe for us either."

"The ravine?" Ray spoke up in surprise.

Agni nodded, "Yeah. That's where we came through. If you enter there, then you would end up in our world."

"How?" Masanobu frowned, "I was there before with Nobuharu, but we didn't find anything unusual."

"Did you try to find the bottom of the ravine?" Agni asked answering their question, "There's a gate in that space, but not many are always willing to make the leap."

"What?!" Masakage said in bewilderment, "A whole village fell through there when a ravine opened up!"

"Huh?" Agni said with a look of surprise, "We didn't hear about that!"

"There was news about an entire destroyed village near the embankment. It's also concluded that the villagers have drowned in the river by our sibling's territory." Lark frowned, "Normally, our siblings and friends like to hide travelers in their territory to avoid being punished for treading onto our land and finding out secrets."

"Huh, can you hide a whole village from sight without telling anyone?" Nobuharu questioned curiously.

"It's not a simple matter, but our teacher can." Xue responded bluntly, "However, she needs to get to them first before anyone else does. Or else, they'd all be taken to be judged as a group."

"Those things ain't pretty either." Agni scowled, "We also don't get a say in it much pulling some strings beforehand."

"Since the village is near my siblings' territories, I believe the majority might be safe…" Lark responded with uncertainty and frowned, "But, I can't really say for sure if they made it or not since it occurred around the time we were about to be sent into the cave."

"We can only hope for the best outcome, then?" Shingen frowned after some deep thoughts, "So, that's all we can look to. So, do you intend to start the plan tomorrow?"

"Tonight." Xue shook his head, "We'll talk with those who are leaving. Speaking of which, you're looking for a few rooms, correct? We'll be willing to transfer you those rooms instead, since we'll be out for the whole night."

"The whole night?" Masatoyo said in confusion.

"There's a lot of magic presence that feels rather cold or soft." Xue responded, "They're most likely apprentices that falls under our teacher's jurisdiction."

"You'll need to clarify on that." Masanobu responded with a frown.

"It's like an entire official caste system with ranks. You know, those that have high and low standings." Agni said with a sigh, "Annoying as hell too."

"Our teacher is one of the strongest with one of the highest ranks." Xue responded, "Due to her standing, she has a lot of responsibilities and people who are born into ranks below her must follow her, whether they like it or not."

"It's not as though she's at a ruler-like standing, but she has a lot of annoying eyes on her." Agni responded, "Yet, even in this situation, she's in a tight spot."

"So, we caught a big fish?" Ray muttered aloud.

"You could say that…" Masanobu wore a small stern smile, "But, that's not very polite thing to say about her aloud. It could be taken as rude, you know. Some don't really enjoy being or being reminded of their position under many circumstances."

"I see…" Ray said after hearing this. So, this was called empathy? To sympathize with others?

"We should get going." Xue responded after looking down on a pocket watch from the pocket of his jeans, "It'll be too late once it reaches ten o'clock. We're also not in the best shape."

Lily frowned worrily and glanced over to her sister, "But, what about Allegra? She's too young to risk running around at night."

"She could stay Ray for the night." Masanobu suggested, "Masakage is also guarding Ray, so she'll be safe."

Lily frowned, but nodded and looked to Lark who did the same before she smiled, "If it wouldn't trouble you so, I'll entrust her safety in your care."

"Of course." Masanobu smiled.

Ray looked to Allegra who looked to her with strangely bright eyes, "Then, I get to stay with Ray and her bird?"

Confused, Ray nodded in response.

"Alle," Lily said firmly, "remember not to cause Miss Ray too much trouble."

"Okay~!"

* * *

After that, Xue brought down his magic and they went in to the Inn to transfer the rooms. She didn't notice this, but, apparently, Shingen than appointed a couple of his retainers to accompany them. It was only after that that Shingen decided to return to his room and rest. So, while Masatoyo and Nobuharu was out on another errand, Masanobu and Masakage stayed behind. She was in her room that had formerly been Xue's and writing her journal as Alle fell asleep with the bird stuck in her arms. Ray looked up and turned to Masakage, "Masakage, will we be returning to the castle after this?"

"Ah." Masakage sighed, "And, it looks as though those guys will be following us the whole way back."

"They talked a lot about worlds and times…" Ray muttered in confusion, "It's almost hard to follow sometimes."

"It's almost hard for someone like you too?" Masakage raised a brow but sighed and shook his head, "Well, I don't blame you. They talked about a lot of confusing things today, but they did prove that they were telling the truth by doing that crazy stuff."

"Will Shingen tell Hideyoshi and Yukimura too?" Ray asked in confusion.

"That's not likely." Masakage frown, "But, it all depends on Shingen-sama. Takeda is close to the Sanada on a bit friendly side, but we're not _that _close that we'd give away everything."

"That's right."

She looked up as the door closed behind Masanobu who walked in with a smile and had said, "If we give away everything, they could end up hurting us in the future. Information isn't something you give away easily because they could have the potential to hurt us later on. How's the child?"

"Out in a flash." Masakage responded with a shrug as they looked to the child cuddled in the futon with the bird and dressed in a clean white kimono.

"That's good." Masanobu smiled, "It seems that they've been traveling for a while now. She must be exhausted. So…"

Masanobu turned to Ray, "What do you think of the four, Ray?"

"The group?" Ray muttered aloud thoughtfully, "They're unusual… They're noisy, but it's not bad. I don't dislike this noise. It's like back in the castle."

"Ah, _that_ noise, huh?" Masanobu nodded with a smile. Since interacting with her, Masanobu has come to understand that, though Ray can't catch onto her environment too well yet, she's still capable of receiving vague sounds of conversation that weren't too clear to her from time to time and would refer to them as "noise". To her, there was good noises and bad noises and, lately, they were becoming more often than normal which brought a sense of relief to them learning that she might have a chance to rehabilitate. Of course, they still want to send her somewhere calmer and without fighting, but, strangely, she seems to be feeling easier to open up in the castle than the capital outside. There was also these strange and dangerous creatures that needed to be fought off.

"Well, I don't like them!" Masakage stated bluntly, "They're still too suspicious."

"I'm sure we can get the complete picture out of them when we return to the castle," Masanobu responded, "but just hold your horses for now. We don't want to be the ones to initiate a fight and we don't want to provoke them into one either."

"Fine." The young werewolf grumbled, "But if that Ag- guy tries to start a fight, I'll be ready to beat him up."

"They were a noisy bunch." Masanobu nodded in agreement, "But, I agree with Ray. They don't seem to be bad people… for now. We'll see the result of their plan by tomorrow."

"Masanobu?" Ray called out to him, "How many Inns are there in this town?"

Masanobu wore a small smile, "This town is close to the borders, so there are quite a few number of Inns and taverns. Why do you ask?"

"Can it hold thirty people individually?" she responded in confusion.

Masanobu shook his head and gestured as he spoke, "They're most likely in the same situation as Xue and Agni was in. They came across each other there or are traveling together just as Allegra's siblings have."

"So, where do you think they can go to?" Masakage muttered with curiosity.

"It seems that they might stay in the castle for a bit so we can confirm their situation." Masanobu responded before crossing his arms, "But we still require a clearer picture of what we're dealing with. I believe we might not have to worry too much, though."

Masakage shrugged and turned to the window in silence. After that Ray continued talking about her days with Masanobu who seemed to have taken on the role of listening to her perspective of the day whenever Masatoyo wasn't around. Since they weren't skilled counselors, they could only ask Ray of her day whenever they could get the chance to. To be honest, her presence in the castle also seemed to have changed the atmosphere little by little. She was certainly getting livelier despite still hoping to find Zack again. Yet, they still can't say that the improvement was enough to say that she was cured. Apparently, it might be rather difficult to help her get better as this wasn't a physical illness. At least, they were able to tell that she was getting some emotions now, but it was always the expression that she problem is at. Even now, finding a herbalist that could understand her situation is still a difficult feat to achieve. None could offer the number of certain information that Yuzuki had been able to do so. One thing for certain, for Ray's sake and theirs, they won't by going near the ravine anytime soon. At the very least, Ray is not as persistent about it either for some reason.

* * *

The next morning came around then the afternoon. For the entire time, the four did not return and neither did the retainers. Ray knew that Shingen probably sent them because he also needed to monitor them, but it was a little lonely without them. Lonely? Yes, it had been a while since she felt this lonely. Ever since Zack left, she had been struck with confusion and lonely for a long time before she returned to Takeda territory. There was a knock on the door as Masakage reached out to open it, "Shingen-sama?!"

"Why are you that surprised?" Shingen raised a brow in confusion, "We're just right next door."

Yup. Xue's and Agni's rooms were right next to each other. They probably do have the worst luck.

Turns out that Shingen was hoping to go for a walk that afternoon and brought Ray with him. Since Allegra was still young, they couldn't leave her with Masakage for long, so they went to get some sweets before heading back.

As they returned with the sweets in hand, they soon heard the sound of hurried footsteps and saw a group of three foreign teenage boys hurry past them nearly knocking into her had Shingen not pulled her back in time.

"That…" Ray frowned curiously and grabbed the raven before it could chase after them, "No. I don't want them to get you hurt."

She looked up to Shingen and Masanobu as the retainer nodded solemnly, "Looks like they'd rather leave on their own…"

Shingen frowned, "Did you see, Masanobu?"

The werewolf nodded, "Yes. They were probably no more than thirteen, Shingen-sama."

The general nodded as well, "A little younger and already given big responsibilities."

"That's just the nature of things in our world."

They turned back to the entrance and saw that Xue had already returned.

"Lark told me that he had already explained some parts to you, but it would seem that he only just glaze things over." Xue responded, "He's only fifteen but has yet to grasp the more points of importance of conversations to be discussed such as these."

"Ah, birdy!"

Suddenly, Alle rushed out in this cute pink kimono as she scooped out the raven from Ray's arms.

"Allegra Pheo!"

Lily rushed out after her in alarm and scolded, "We've talked about this before! You can't just take items and creatures out of other people's hands without permission!"

"S-Sorry…"

"You're apologizing to the wrong person." Lily frowned.

Alle turned to Ray nervously and quickly placed the raven back into her arms as the girl said aloud, "I'm sorry…"

Lily walked up to them and gave a deep bow, "I apologize for the child's behavior. We've really spoiled her too much growing up…"

"It's all right." Ray responded automatically as she patted the bird with a small smile, "It looks like the bird isn't too upset either, but I don't think it wants to be handled roughly either."

"Oh, okay." the girl looked up to her with a slightly wide smile in embarrassment.

Shingen patted the child with an encouraging smile and turned to Xue, "We can discuss things after we return. There's too many about."

Hearing this, Xue nodded solemnly, "Very well."

"Hey! Hey! Have you heard?"

Ray noticed Shingen and Xue looking out as she did the same. Two merchants were discussing some rumors as the continued.

"What?"

"It's about the Inns and taverns in town. That some customers nearly froze to death or even almost had a stroke from overheating."

"Seriously?!"

"There's more! All of them were young people too! They'd run out of there with frostbites or nearly scorched to death because their clothes almost got caught on fire! Can you believe that?!"

Ray raised a brow and muttered, "Frostbites? Scorched to death?"

They turned to Xue who muttered with a sigh, "They'll recover by the next five minutes. As for scorched…"

Slightly depressed, Lily sighed as well, "Agni…"

"The fool took it too far again." Xue frowned.

"This isn't the first time I take it?" Masanobu responded.

"The last he used it was on another of our apprentice." Lily responded with a frown, "Though it's not severe this time by the sound of it, he was reprimanded by their teacher and forced to repair the training grounds by himself It took him four months to clean up everything he destroyed. As the one who treated the wounds, I'd remember the scars he would've had given the other apprentice if I hadn't called on our siblings for help."

"Then our teacher had him learn to control his abilities from dawn to dusk the next three months." Xue responded, "It'd paid off, at least."

"Still," Lily turned to Xue, "This wasn't what I had in mind."

Xue shrugged, "If he still failed to control his abilities at this point, then he'd be embarrassing our teacher for all the wasted efforts."

Lily sighed, "You really are too harsh on him, you know."

"It's not like we want to work as partners to begin with." Xue rebuked bluntly before turning around and going back inside.

Ray raised a brow, "Did he get himself a new room?"

Lily nodded, "Yeah. He and Agni got new rooms, but it seems they got stuck next to each other again. I apologize if they made you feel uncomfortable. They've always been at odds with their competitions. They tend to take their rivalry a little to seriously at times too."

"Rivals, huh?" Shingen raised a brow and smiled, "Looks like they're doing pretty well in their competition."

"Is that how it is?" Lily looked to him in confusion, "That reminds me. Is your rival a werewolf too?"

"Hm?" Shingen raised a brow, "You know that too?"

Lily nodded, "There are many warlords, but there were a few well-known ones. In our world, over five hundreds of years passed since those warring times, but the violence was enough to be written in our history books. Both human versions of you were also well-known for your rivalry back then too. Though you're different people in reality, I thought some things were true. Your human version was one of the important warlords in history."

Shingen raised a brow but smiled, "I didn't think I'd be that popular."

"Warlords in history…" Ray muttered in thought before she looked up, "Oh, right. I forgot."

"Huh?!" Masanobu's eyes widen in surprise, "You too?"

Ray nodded, "It was in our world history books right after we were taught about Oda's part in the war in Japan."

"So, you remember it just now?"

She nodded to Masanobu, "Yeah."

"Wait a minute. Oda Nobunaga too?" Shingen raised a brow, "Looks like every general had a human version."

"The facts here are different, but it seems some things are still the same…" Lily noted curiously, "Human or not. But, the people themselves are different. They might not be exactly you."

Shingen nodded firmly, "I get it. I'll just have to work harder than those versions did."

Well…

This was interesting.

* * *

**YueTian: Hey, guys! I'm finally out with another new chapter (though I'm to tired to correct it further right now). I hope you all like this new chapter and I wonder if I might just come back to finish with this author's note another time. Well, I hope we'll see you other again tomorrow!**

* * *

**_1/10/2020 4:51 AM_**


	9. Chapter 9: Wendigo

Wendigo

"This is…"

Masatoyo and Masakage couldn't hide their surprised expressions upon the scene before them as Masanobu only remained quiet. Ray looked down upon the little girl and boy who looked around Allegra's age. One had strange green hair that was like the shade of leaves and reached down to her waist. The little girl wore a dark cloak of black and plain white dress with detached green sleeve that hugged around the middle finger. The other was a boy with short dark blue hair. He also wore a black cloak and hood that covered parts of his plain brown shirt and blue pants. The only problem is, while the boy has leather boots and a broad sword hanging heavily on his rather large belt, the girl was rather weaponless. The girl nervously hid behind Lily as the child stared at them with pink eyes while the boy stood by himself without a word but was clearly nervous and agitated. Ray watched as the children either looked around quietly or didn't dare to do so. Shingen watched the children with a look of contradiction. He was definitely troubled as he turned to Xue and Lark for an explanation.

"These are Ahearn and Aife." Lark gestured to the boy and girl, "They are partners and my sisters' apprentices. They were suppose to be with the other children and hidden away by my siblings, but it seems that they had snuck out during the chaos instead."

"Our mistress." Aife whispered nervously, "Our mistress went missing…"

"Big Sister?" Lily's eyes widen in surprise and turned to Lark who only responded with a frown. Most likely before, since he was the one who picked them up, he must've heard but didn't tell anyone.

"While we were going into hiding," Ahearn began softly, "we were nearly caught during the act when she went to distract them, but she never came back even though she said she promised and she hardly ever breaks promises no matter how small. I-I wanted to know for sure what happened to her, so I took Aife and left the group. But, we ended up being chased through the gates while it was closing."

"What about the other children?" Agni asked with a frown.

"We saw them with your brother before we snuck out." Ahearn responded.

"He said that he would go check on her after he finished hiding the rest of the kids." Aife responded nervously.

"So, that's what happened…" Lily said in bewilderment before turning to Lark, "We need to bring them with us. I'll take care of them."

"All three little kids?"Masatoyo muttered in confusion.

Lily nodded, "I've always cared for the majority of the younger generations with the rest of the apprentices around our age. I believe that I will manage it well."

"If you say so…" Masakage raised a brow.

Shingen nodded with a sigh, "I have already given you permission to bring others with you, but I didn't think it'd be this few."

"My apologies." Lark replied with a frown, "I'm not really the most persuasive person when talking with them."

"This is actually a good choice." Xue responded firmly.

"At least, this I can agree on." Agni grumbled reluctantly much to Ray's surprise, "If no one would want to work with any one of us, then they shouldn't join us. That'd only make things worse."

"You guys don't really get along, then?" Ray asked curiously.

"No." Lark shook his head nervously, "It's just that we don't have the best background nor circumstances…"

"Hell as if it is!" Agni scowled, "This fools are just too prideful for their own good."

"Anyway," Xue spoke up, "we should leave before trouble finds us. Being this close to the ravine won't be good for any of us."

"The ravine…" Ray thought a loud before nodding her head, "I understand…"

Shingen and the others didn't respond, possibly either surprised or impressed that she didn't push them further to pursue their goals. However, it was true that they were lacking the information and place to receive it well.

* * *

As they began riding on the horses with the older boys walking calmly next to them, Ray carried Alle on her as she clung to Masakage's back. The saddle was bumpy as the horse began to trot in order to catch up to the others. Somehow, it seemed that Allegra's wonder and excitement had irritated Masakage at some point as his neck turned red. So, Ray took some hard candy Shingen had helped get for her the day before to the child who joyfully took it. As they rode halfway, Masanobu questioned Lark curiously, "Lark, you and your companions came into this world. So, how often do you travel between worlds?"

Lark shook his head, "Not as often as some may think. Only a few times, but those were to the same world over and over. This is the first we've traveled to a different one. After all, our teacher isn't in the position to travel the world freely."

"Even when he does get the opportunity, he often turns it down." Lily added in thought, "He's never one that liked traveling between worlds without business related reasons. As apprentices and a member of the group, we need permission from our teacher and, even then, we don't travel far from him. So, this is the first in a long while that we've left his side."

"So a shut-in?" Ray questioned carefully.

"Ray…" Masanobu muttered without knowing of a way to scold the child while making her understand. The others also can't refute her perspective of the twins' words.

Agni laughed, "Ah, yeah! Lord- Agh!"

It was then that Xue had already struck the tall young man with the blunt end of his cloth covered weapon with a cold glare, "Shut up!"

"What's with you?!" Agni scowled, "I haven't even finished shutting myself up, then you hit me in the stomach?"

"Just when do you plan to shut yourself up, then?" Xue responded sharply before turning away, "Forget it. Words never do get through that skull of yours."

"Guys…" Lily sighed.

"No violence amongst friends!" Alle shouted with a pouting face again.

"Y-Yeah…" Aife concurred quietly.

"Are they always like this?" Masakage grumbled.

"Usually." Ahearn responded nervously.

"Oh?" Nobuharu raised a brow, "You know each other well?"

"Sort of…" Ahearn shook his head as he grabbed onto the saddle as if it was his only lifeline, "I was there with my father when I saw them become apprentices under their mistress."

"Mistress?" Masanobu raised a brow.

"Oh, he means teacher." Lily responded.

Ahearn nodded, "Under our branch, we refer to our teachers as masters or mistresses. Lark and Lily refers to their teachers simply as teachers. Xue and Agni can call their teacher however they want as long as they aren't disrespectful. All of our masters are from respective branches, but apprentices from those branches always get randomly thrown under a teacher without much care of the order of the branches. For example, all five of us, except for Lily, are from the same branch, but our teachers, aside from Lark's and Lily's teacher, aren't in the same group as us. Sort of like a tree's branches."

"That's quite a complicated system you got there…" Shingen responded in acknowledgement.

"Probably that's why they threw their hands up in the air when they selected pairings and apprenticeship." Agni grumbled after settling down from the argument as Xue remained unresponsive.

"Threw their hands up?" Ray repeated in confusion.

"They gave up thinking a proper order to pairing two fighting buddies together." Lark explained, "As well what sort of teacher would be appropriate for them. Due to that, we occasionally have two people from different branches working together under a teacher from neither of their branches."

"But, those two…" Ahearn said as he mysterious grew pale with a weak smile, "At the age of ten, not only did Agni threw curses before a crowd of over a hundred high-ranking people from all four branches, but the two of them started a heated combat and practically destroyed the entire meeting hall with explosive magic right before their mistress. I didn't see what happened to them after since I already escaped with my father from the building, but I overheard that, not only did their mistress tore them apart bare handedly and made them rebuild the entire meeting hall, but also declared that they would be her apprentice from then on."

"It's not my fault that the guy turned out to be my fighting partner!" Agni scowled.

"It's because of your impulsive actions that everyone around you always gets pulled in with your antics." Xue scowled.

So, Xue was only a victim to his antics? The thought sort of amused Ray too.

"I remember…" Aife shuddered, "I was there too with my grandmother. Everyone ran away for safety because they were too strong. Those that got close got thrown out of the hall by fire and ice magic. Our mistresses and master just stood there watching the entire mess unfold before their mistress called for them to stop. Since they were too engrossed in their fight to listen, their mistress used one hand each and pulled them apart in just a couple minutes. She dished out their punishment and also declared them her apprentice right there. When they tried to attack her, she turned their weapons into brooms and had them start working. For the entire year, there was a supposed scary 'killing' aura in the hall making everyone unable to return until the construction was done."

"Do you two have to dig up our dark past?" Agni groaned, "We were ten, for god's sakes!"

"And you never stop swearing or cursing." Xue grumbled with a blank expression.

"Well," Lark wore a small innocent smile, "It certainly sounds that you were both responsible for the mess, but I never knew that your relation was that bad…"

"What?" Masakage stared at the two warily before asking, "Isn't that just too weird? Also, if she could stop them from the start, why didn't she did so from the beginning?"

There was a moment of silence before Aife spoke up, "W-Well, nobody can read what their teacher is thinking… not even those who are family to her. She seldom speaks what's on her mind and, if you make her talk, her mood would depend the way she would respond…"

"Well, what can you do when you are born with a bad reputation and didn't know of it till it found you?" Agni sighed as he shook his head, "We don't understand our teacher much either, even after the last five years. She's a hard case to crack."

"And, even with her powers, she's unable to sort out the situation?" Masanobu raised a brow.

"Even that is a little complicated to explain out here…" Xue responded vaguely.

"Is everyone born with magic?" Ray stared at them curiously.

"Nah." Agni frowned, "There's people who aren't born with powers. Even if they were, they'd have to be a special case to be one of us."

"Oh?" Nobuharu raised a brow, "As in strength, then?"

Lark shook his head, "It's a little long story and could be a little more bizarre."

"Then, everyone must be strong in your world." Shingen muttered aloud in thought, "Hm, how often do you use magic for combat?"

"There are rules for use of combat under our teacher's branch," Xue began, "while others do have different or no rules."

"Not to mention," Lark continued, "The strength of magic usually depends on your standing or just by coming into the world by souls to body."

"Yup!" Agni concurred with a nod, "There are those events…"

"Then, where do you stand?" Ray asked curiously.

Hearing this, Masanobu began to make a mental note to teach Ray manners and sincerity or sympathy.

"It's fine." Xue responded with a sigh, "We're apprentices under our teacher. However, we do have our own places and manage our territory. At most, we stand at most three ranks below the lord. The lord is solely stands above our teacher."

"So, basically, we're just below our teacher's standing, but in another branch." Agni simplified.

"Huh?" Masakage raised a brow, "Then, why didn't your superior step in that day you became apprentices?"

"We're not really sure either." Agni sighed as he and his buddy shrugged, "He always likes to act on his whims without much reason multiple times."

"We would not have any say in the matter." Xue added.

So, they're basically no different from retainers...

"Ah, that…" Aife spoke up, "I recall your mistress whispering with Lark's and Lily's master. He sighed while you were fighting and nodded saying something like 'go ahead' something something…"

"A-Aife…" Ahearn muttered nervously as Aife's eyes widen and she gasped.

Turning to the two, she shivered as there was cold and scorching temperatures rising from the two.

"What?!" Agni hollered in anger, "You mean, he just offered us up to her?! Why didn't you guys tell us this before?!"

Seeing Agni's rage basically creating bright flames on the cloth of his weapon, it was sort of easy to assume why no one would tell them. Quickly, Xue snapped his finger and ice grew over the cloth revealing a red hilt of possible a rather large blade?

"Well…" Ahearn hid behind Masatoyo and muttered nervously, "Y-You were too busy to hear us calling you two to stop… So, I guess… he just left you to her?"

"W-Wait!" Agni called out, "Tell me your teacher was against this!"

"Our mistress?" Aife raised a brow in confusion, "That's the weirdest part… She could hardly contain her laughter the moment she saw the entire event from the start to finish."

"Seriously?" Agni groaned aloud.

"That's tough…" Masakage grumbled sympathetically, "Well, you reap what you sow."

"I didn't sow anything!" Agni argued stubbornly, "It's all his fault, anyway!"

"Guys…" Lily said with a small smile, "Let's put that past behind us, okay? You were only ten, then."

"Why do you guys have to make a laughing stock of me today?" Agni scowled as he grumbled aloud.

"That was totally both of your own fault, though." Masakage responded casually.

Xue didn't say anything the entire time, but they could already see that both apprentices was clearly upset and depressed from the shock. However, Ray could see that there was still the warmth of the atmosphere that seemed to resemble that greatly of those places in each territory when all the commanders and their general gather. Noisy. So noisy. But, warm. It was like that of when she is with him. When he scowls or scolds her but never punish her with death. It was disappointing. However, it was never as disappointing as being without him. Still, the warmth was there when they would talk about the oath. The oath for death.

* * *

Upon returning to the castle two days later, Ray curiously followed Masakage and Masanobu into this place that looks like a grand hall though it was little small, like the grand hall in the Sanada castle. Everyone was seated on the tatami floor and Lark helped the younger children figure out how to sit though Xie sat neatly cross legged and Agni sat up rather sloppily.

"Say, um… M-Masanobu, right?" Lily called out to the blond werewolf sitting across from her.

"Yes." the samurai werewolf nodded.

"About the forest back there… Have this world encountered any unexplainable creatures lately?" Lily questioned cautiously.

Ray turned to the girl quietly as she watched her grip on her dress tightly.

"Hm?" Masanobu raised a brow, "By unexplainable creatures, what do you mean?"

"Like…" Lily stammered, "Incredibly agile creatures that only respond to sound and movements."

"You know creatures like that?" Nobuharu questioned with a frown.

After looking around, Xue sighed, "Yeah… When did they started showing up? Months maybe?"

"A couple of months." Shingen responded, "They've been attacking the people." Masanobu added, "We've been on guard, especially during the night."

After Masanobu's brief explanation, Shingen asked, "How much do you know about them?"

She turned and saw Lily looking to her before that girl responded, "They're creatures that have human-like forms and survives off of anything that moves."

"According to my sister, they're blind to shapes and colors, but that's because they can only see movements." Lark added, "They are usually active during the night and anywhere where sunlight hardly hits, so they're usually found in abandoned sites and caves. Light blinds them, but it's not enough to kill them. Xue, they're usually in her territory. You and Agni should know quite a bit more, right?"

"More than enough, I assume." Xue said curtly.

She looked to them in confusion as Agni groaned, "They've showed up a couple times in the old man's territory and ours a couple of times."

"You have territories?" Masakage looked at them and smirked, "You're joking, right?"

Though he was only fooling around, Agni scowled, "We do, but we're not rulers or lords and all that."

"We maintain the prosperity of the lands we are in charge of." Lily explained, "So, that there wouldn't be lands being in more stable condition than those that aren't. Without stability, natural disaster would occur more frequently. For example, my territory is specialized in medicine due to the variety of plants. This talent balances with the constant appearance of illness caused by the damp, humid air that comes with it. My job is to maintain the number of plants grown there. Herbs and poison. To counter poison and illnesses, I would secretly enter the villages and towns to spread some knowledge to the scholars and doctors, or herbalists. In general, we help lead and protect the people using the land. That's a few of the work I do. I still have a lot to improve on and learn though, but that's how I've been working the entire year."

"Clearing out unknown forces that others can't fight against is another part of our list." Xue responded, "The forest was filled with marks that they made and other marks that we've never seen. The energy here is unusually unbalanced. Have you been encountering another creature other than the ones we're talking about?"

"Yakumas." Shingen responded solemnly, "Everyone here has known them for many years. Only travelers from another world wouldn't know of them."

"Yakuma?" Aife whispered nervously.

"Yakuma are monsters with horrifying appearances. Their fangs and claws can tear up everything, and their heelish roars can be heard like distant thunder even from mountains in the distance." Nobuharu explained.

Shingen continued, "They disappeared before after we've destroyed the nest. Three months ago, they returned. A month later, those creatures. Are they from your world?"

Agni grumbled, "Without a doubt. I bet those lunatics let those loose while we were imprisoned…"

"We call them Wendigo." Xue responded, "Our teacher says that it's a name taken from a mainland out west in out world."

"She never told us the details, though." Agni added again.

"Is it that important?" Ahearn questioned nervously, "Our mistress always asks that from her too."

"Our teacher…" Agni grumbled, "Loves to name things after stories. Sometimes, there are some we've never heard of. The term Wendigo is suppose to be a part of a legend according to her, but she never tells us anything else. She has too many secrets from everyone."

"Do you know how to defeat them?" Shingen asked bluntly.

Lark nodded, "Two methods are possible. One, you slice off their heads. Two, you burn them with fire."

"If you cut off the heads, they won't move accurately but flail around. However, if you burn them," Xue explained, "their souls would supposedly be cleaned. This means, they won't come back or cause anymore harm."

"So, just burn them or cut the head off." Masakage responded, "That doesn't sound too hard."

"Souls?" Ray raised a brow and stared at Lark, "Cleaned?"

"As I've said." Xue responded, "Our teacher watches the ghosts who've did a lot of bad things in life. All creatures. As long as they don't flow into the underworld/hell of their world, you'd find them under her jurisdiction."

Masatoyo nearly choked as Masakage grumbled, "Isn't that…"

"A ruler of the underworld or something!" Masakage scowled, "And, she's your teacher?!"

"Pretty much." Agni sighed.

"Masakage, that was impolite." Masanobu scolded as if scolding a child.

The boy simply turned his head as he muttered an apology.

"It's fine." Agni shrugged, "We've seen that reaction one too many times anyway. It ain't the first we revealed our teacher's position."

"Due to her position and work," Xue explained, "we, as apprentices, don't come close to her work. We are not allowed to enter her territory without her consent. Because we are of another branch that doesn't dabble into these lines of work, we focus solely on our training and jobs."

"By yourself?" Masanobu raised a brow.

"Yes." Xue responded firmly and frowned, "However, our teacher rarely makes mistakes and, even so, it would only take her from two days to a week to fix it. Fugitives souls aren't something that can't be fixed no matter the difficulty. What's difficult is to see the souls and place them back in the body. Nobody but one person in our world can do that and that's our teacher."

"But!" Agni sighed, "It's against nature to bring someone back from the dead and is also a taboo."

"However, there are creatures that have attempted it." Xue responded, "Those who desperately wants something to return. However, without sight and proper practice and ability, the soul can easily be tainted by the grief and unhealthy obsession of the creature that's casting it."

"Our leader told us that their bodies will take the energy of the earth and form these human-like features. But, it'd be of no use as they would need constant energy to sustain their hunger. Thus, they come after anything that moves." Agni responded before he sighed, "But, that's just a theory created by our leader."

"Our teacher usually guides those that are dead, but she would never keep one by her side." Xue added spontaneously.

As Shingen raised a brow, Xue continued, "Her spiritual energy is too chaotic for souls to stay next to and she refuses those souls before they would explain their cases before…"

"Huh?"

After the meeting, Masatoyo had gone to help bring the children and teens to their rooms for the night as Shingen began in the Meeting Hall, "Monsters from another world, is it? Magic from another world too."

"They aren't in the same world as Ray." Masakage muttered with a raised brow.

"Oh? So, you finally believe in them?" Nobuharu said with a wide smile on his face.

"A-As if!" Masakage responded nervously before turning around, "There just wasn't anything better to know about those things…"

"Ray?" Shingen called over to her as she looked up, "What do you think?"

She tilted her head in thought for a while before she frowned, "I don't know."

She thought carefully for a bit before she continued, "I've never heard about real magic. Like pulling a rabbit out of a hat, maybe?"

Masanobu, being next to Ray, patted her head with a nod, "Well, I don't think anyone else has seen magic like the one Lily and Xue had displayed for us."

Ray thought it was unusual the way the four could bring about a miracle like that. If they hadn't explained themselves, she would've assumed that they were miraculous angels sent by god, but she was told that God was gone and their teacher…

"Then, we'll settle on this. Ray?"

Surprised, she looked up curiously, "Yes?"

There was a moment of awkward silence before Shingen shook his head and smiled, "We just got back. How about you rest up for now? Just don't tell anyone what we've discussed here today, okay?"

She nodded, "Okay."

"All right. Let's get going." Masakage sighed and got up as Ray followed suit.

* * *

When the girl and her guard left the room, Shingen was about to send out Masanobu to find Xue and Lark when Masatoyo popped out of nowhere again and volunteered. They hadn't even known that he had returned! When the two entered the room and took a seat, Shingen began, "We're willing to give you a place to stay here in the castle. Only under certain conditions."

Xue didn't respond as Shingen continued, "One, you must keep your power hidden under public's eyes. Two, you can't wander around in the morning. Third, in exchange for the shelter, we would require your assistance exterminating these 'wen-ti-go'."

"There's no way to properly explain your abilities to the people. Since you plan to stay hidden from the start, it wouldn't deviate from your original intentions. If you wander around too much, there would be rumors going about."

Lark seemed a little surprised with a slightly raised brow as Nobuharu nodded unhappily, "After we took in the girl, rumors have already begun amongst the men. Normally, we wouldn't mind it too much..."

"Right now, it's quelling, but, with your arrival, there could be more rumors that can't be controlled." Masatoyo explained, "If you want to stay here, then you need to keep a low profile in the castle."

"Oh, by the way, you're staying in the castle." Masanobu added with a wide smile.

Xue raised a brow, but didn't say anything as Shingen spoke, "However, money is required to help you live in this world. I do not know where you got your money, but, eventually, that would run out. We can pay you the amount of salary our soldiers receive, but you will need to help us fight against the wendigos during the extermination. You and your friends will also have a place here in the castle during the time you're here."

Calmer now, Lark turned to Xue and nodded. However, Xue raised a brow, "The first and third condition…"

"When fighting against wendigos, our powers are crucial in ending them for good." Lark explained clearing their confusion, "Otherwise, the most we can do is decapitate them or seal them. Both are just temporary solutions. Though it's not fire, Xue's ice abilities are enough to seal them. The most fire he can do comes from chanting spells. Those require a little bit of time."

There was a moment of silence as Shingen thought for a bit with the rest of the remaining retainers.

"Then," Masanobu spoke up, "how about we let them secretly use their abilities secretly away from public eyes? They could be their own sub-unit and they can secretly use their abilities when necessary."

Xue nodded, "That would work."

"Huh?!" Lark turned to him in bewilderment, "But, Agni-!"

"I can use my abilities and Ahearn has his abilities to put him out." Xue responded calmly with a sigh, "If needed, I'll freeze him solid from neck down and have Aife teleport him somewhere."

Though Xue was sorting everything out, Lark frowned, "That's not a bad idea, but Aife…"

"Or Ahearn." Xue brought up.

Lark was very hesitant but finally gave in with a sigh and settled down, "Very well."

After agreeing with the conditions, Xue told Lark to return to the room since it would seem that he was getting slightly overwhelmed. It couldn't be helped as he had just finished the journey with them and is helping his twin care for the other children. He was reluctant, but didn't say anything in the end as he left. With Xue remaining in the room, Shingen asked, "Now, there was something else I was hoping to speak with you in private, but it would seem that you do as well."

Xue nodded, "Treatment for illness…"

Everyone held their breath with wide eyes as Shingen raised a brow, "So you can tell…"

Xue shook his head.

"Then, the young lady can…" Nobuharu wore a small smirk.

"Just by looking?" Masatoyo responded with wide eyes.

Xue nodded, "You've been sick for a while. Maybe longer."

"You can also tell that?" Masanobu stared at him in bewilderment.

"She's our healer… herbalist or doctor." He responded bluntly, "She's been trained for the role long before she was found."

"What's her advice?" Masanobu asks with a frown, "Can it be cured?"

There was a moment of cold silence before he sighed and nodded, "Very slow…"

"Really?" Masanobu frowned, "But, it's been a few years…"

"Is it the medicine?" Masatoyo responded in confusion, "Perhaps it's not as effective? But, how did you know how long he's been taking medicine?"

"Consumption is difficult to cure… if one responsible for making the body sick is immune to the medicine. Those people are few. However, that's not the case here. Consumption is contagious and can be spread, unless they are already taking medicine. That would only be so for the first two weeks. None of you caught it and she was told that aside you've all been by Shingen's side all these years. None fell to illness meaning he's been taking medicine." He frowned and responded bluntly, "He's condition should be improving greatly. However, it's not nor is it getting worse…"

Shingen raised a brow in thought, "It's not getting better or getting worse. What does that mean?"

Xue sighed as he muttered, "She has told me that she's found a bottle of pills hidden in one of the extra bags she was given."

There was a moment of silence as eyes turned to their general. However, Xue continued ruthlessly without further pause, "This morning, Ahearn was about to take in some water but found some pills in the bottle before he could drink it…"

"Ah…" Masanobu smirked somewhat mischievously and harshly as Xue noted these two things. He turned to Masanobu, "So, the reason why it's not getting better is because…"

Shingen's face nearly paled nervously as he heard this. Yet, Xue quickly finished cutting in his sentence, "To cure it, the medicine is required to be taken daily. It's very important not to skip days of it. If you do, there will be worse problems to face. One of them you are probably facing right now. The infection getting stronger and slowly become resistant to the medicine because you are giving time for them to grow stronger than the medicine."

Saying this, he placed the bamboo bottle of medicine in front of them and another clearly drenched one on the other side. Xue continued, "Lily observed the pill. They were made well and are indeed effective. There's a saying in my homeland. 'Bitter medicine is good and effective medicine.' The more bitter they are, the more effective they can be."

Hearing this, Shingen seemed to have froze in place and made an unpleasant expression. Masanobu, however, smiled and picked up the bottle. He turned to Xue with a raised brow, "You said that your teacher wants to have less impact on this world during your stay. Why are you helping us?"

"His time isn't _that _near." Xue responded bluntly, "Our teacher had seen futures of everyone's time. They split like branches on a tree. If he chooses correctly, his time won't be close. Also, this is our price for your aid. Now, there is balance."

After trying one of the large pills, Masanobu wore a small smile and handed it to the general, "Now, Shingen-sama, these were carefully inspected by a practiced herbalist and a woman. Even people from another world is trying to help you get better. Please down it right here."

"Er…" Shingen looked at them nervously, "Even if you say that. In the end, pills are, uh…"

"These pills are for your sake." Nobuharu reasoned with a nod, "If you do not swallow them, I doubt the wisdom of that."

"If Masakage was present," Masatoyo added, "He'd say Shingen-sama has a deep sense of moral obligations and empathy, so the chance you won't take them is unlikely. I believe, if it's Shingen-sama, he should swallow it in one gulp without hesitation."

"Speaking of missing people," Masanobu smirked wider, "wouldn't Ray imagine you be able to take in bitter things? She's always said that you looked leader-like. What would she think if she learned that you can't handle a little bit of bitter medicine."

"You guys…" Shingen groaned in exasperation, "you're absolutely enjoying this, aren't you?"

Everyone but Xue laughed as they heard this. Nervously, Shingen picked up the last pill from the bottle and raised a brow, "Isn't it a little damp?"

Masanobu smiled and nodded, "It'll be just as effective."

Shingen stared at his retainer in confusion and took a deep breath before eating the pill. He's eyes widen, "It's sweet?! O-Oh, the bitterness…"

As he grumbled this, Masanobu chuckled, "It would seem the young herbalist coated it with honey before handing it back to us."

"Honey can be used for its medicinal properties. Lily and Lark obtained some before we were confined." Xue explained, "However, it's best if it's not used as often."

"So, it's best to stick to the original blend…" Masatoyo responded.

Xue nodded. Shingen groaned as he heard this.

* * *

After the pill container was taken away, Shingen turned to Xue and asked, "If you knew my condition, you also knew about _her_ condition…"

Xue was silent as Shingen continued, "Is there a way for her to get better?"

"We aren't experts in the field of mental health." Xue responded, "Agni and I have worked with our teacher for many years. She had taken cases where she is required to know the mentality of those around her and tread carefully without startling them in anyway. Her lack of expression, lethargic reaction, and lack of attention to surroundings are signs of delirium. Because they are similar to signs of depression and dementia, they are often overlooked. Hypoactive delirium."

"But, I thought she was getting better…" Masatoyo muttered in bewilderment.

"Lily said she is." Xue responded, "Cure isn't simple and Lily doesn't know the best cure for this. Agni and I only know how to avoid agitating patients with mental illnesses. However, Ray's symptoms indicates that she had been like this for a while…"

"Her words indicate that she had been like this since she was a child." Masanobu responded carefully.

"Signs of any harmful drugs? Or maybe intoxications?" Xue questioned before noticing their raised brow at the last word and clarified to them, "Alcohol, smoking, or maybe exposed to toxins? Traumatized events?"

"That's…" Masanobu frowned.

"She most likely have never done any of that." Shingen responded firmly to their surprise, "Her father had. Traumatized events are more than just one."

Aside from Masanobu, everyone else looked stunned. Xue nodded, "If the father had, then it's not likely the mother hadn't even once. Intoxications and drugs during pregnancy affects children's mental growth in numerous ways. It's one of the reasons pregnant women limits what they can have and eliminate what they can't. Wine, alcohol, and smoking are one of the major common factors to eliminate. Drugs are without a need to say. From the sound, her father is an alcoholic? Lily said that Ray had told her her parents were no longer with her. Numerous things can be said. And..."

Xue continued, "She's interested in god/goddess related topics or of higher power…"

Each word he said was a hit right on the nail as Shingen could only mutter, "Impressive. And you don't know the cure?"

Xue shook his head, "I don't. We were taught how to avoid agitating them and getting ourselves hurt, as well as respect them as individuals. Cure is something we know little about. With the current situation, I can only make the assumption that Ray's condition… is getting better."

Hearing this, Masatoyo only nodded slowly but silently let out a small breath of relief. Nobuharu followed with a nod and didn't say anything.

"Does Lily know?" Masanobu raised a brow.

"She sensed that she was peculiar." Xue responded.

"That's all?" Masatoyo looked at him in uncertainty.

He nodded.

"Then," Shingen spoke up, "Have you decided how you plan to find your comrades? There's a good chance that they could be in other territories."

"We understand." Xue nodded, "We will first look about the city before searching through nearby villages. As we can't keep everyone in the castle, so I suggest they stay in groups near villages and shift positions at intervals of time."

As Xue went on to elaborate of their ideas, Shingen and the others watched intently. By the time he was done, Shingen raised a brow and nodded, "We can go with this. However, you must first be able to gather these amount of people of the plan won't be possible to achieve."

"A month."

They looked to him in bewilderment as he continued, "It would be done."

Shingen raised a brow again, "Well... I don't plan to put a time yet, but let's see what you guys can do."

Xue gave them a bow before leaving the room.

"This is going to be rather interesting…" Masanobu noted before turning to Shingen, "It would also seem that they are skilled in seeing through our actions."

"They said a month." Shingen said with a frown, "I wonder what they have in mind…"

* * *

Ray was going through her journal quietly when she remembered.

"Oh…" She pulled out the white mask from her bag, "I forgot…"

"Forgot what?" Masakage called over from before the door whilst polishing his sword, "Ah!"

His eyes widen as he noticed the mask and groaned, "Seriously?!"

She looked up to him and said, "I forgot to ask them about this."

"Of course you did." Masakage groaned.

He slid the blade back in its sheathe and walked over before stretching out his hand, "Forget it. I'll just hand it over to Shingen-sama and we'll ask for you next time."

She thought for a bit before asking, "Zack…"

He nodded, "I remember. I'll help you remind him later. He's important to you, right?"

She nodded back and slowly handed it to him. Then, the raven suddenly hopped right into the girl's lap and snuggled comfortably as Masakage scowled, "Is that bird-brain really staying here?"

As the bird simply turned his head away ignorantly, she nodded, "I like it. Its behavior reminds me of Zack…"

She paused curiously before she spoke up with a tilted confused head, "Huh? Why is that?"

Masakage stared at her in deep thought before he sighed, "Whatever. If you like it, then you like it. As long as it doesn't pull anyone apart, then we'll have no trouble letting it stay with you."

She nodded slowly, "Okay."

Seeing this, Masakage raised a brow and touched her forehead before touching his own, "Huh, right temperature… That's good."

"Oh, what's this?"

Ray looked up and saw Masanobu had already pulled open the door and strolled in with a smirk, "Have Masakage gotten use to interacting with women now?"

"What?!" Masakage suddenly turned red from the neck to the ears and forehead as he stammered, "Sh-Shut up!"

Masanobu chuckled and turned to Ray, "Masakage rarely interacts with women. It was only a few months ago when he interacted with Yuzuki. It was most likely the first woman he's interacted in a long time. You're the second and it looks as though he's doing much better."

"Agh!" Masakage hollered, "Shut up! Shut up!"

"Yes, yes." Masanobu shrugged and sighed before turning to Ray, "Anyway, I want to talk with Ray for a bit. Masakage, can you take a step outside? It's rather important."

"Hmph!" the werewolf scowled before turning around and walking out closing the door behind him. Seeing this, Masanobu then turned to Ray and said, "Ray, do you recall the conversation we have with Lark and his group during the first day of our journey back? When you questioned their position?"

Ray tilted her head in confusion but nodded, "Yes."

"Normally," He began carefully, "when a person is troubled over the circumstances their position brings, they don't want their position to be known or spoken of. Sometimes, there are people who choose to make people with those position experience scary events or they will face painful experiences. If we want to respect others or we want to treat them well, we want to avoid making them feel hurtful feelings that would also hurt us. That is called empathy. It's the ability to understand and share the feelings that others have. When someone gets hurt or are hurt on the inside, you'd understand the pain and feel it inside you too because you understand or have gone through it before."

"Empathy…?" Ray raised a brow, "That feeling… But, when someone got hurt before, it never hurts inside. But…"

There was a moment of pause before she continued, "That day when Zack got hurt even though I was the one injured… It made me worry about how he had to hold his oath by himself. Was that empathy?"

"Perhaps it was?" Masanobu responded curiously, "But that all depends on you."

"How do I tell what to say, then?" Ray asked in confusion.

"Do you remember when you asked them things like magic?" Masanobu asked before receiving a nod from her, "If that aren't afraid of using magic, then you may speak about that with them. If it troubles them to talk about it, don't try to get an answer from them. Unless it looks like it would trouble them, ask them casually, but never interrogate them, okay? We understood that a couple of questions you've asked that day was only out of pure curiosity. If you don't understand now, take your time to learn it slowly. You will need to have patience. Emotions aren't something that is easy to learn. It takes time."

"Patience…" Ray muttered curiously.

Masanobu nodded, "Don't try to forcefully find answers on your own or it could be even more difficult for you to understand."

"Slowly and not on my own?"

"Emotions emerge easier when you interact with others." Masanobu responded as best as he could again, "Don't go too fast or you could tire yourself before you can make good progress."

"Okay." She nodded.

Hearing this, Masanobu heaved a small breath. He knew it from the beginning when Shingen decided to help her, but these things really just doesn't get easier. It would seem that even the general had trouble explaining that much to her the other day too. He was left mentally exhausted trying to explain the morals and emotions to her. Since Masakage was also too passionate and reckless, it wasn't a good idea to let him explain everything to her. After all, the young werewolf would only be chased in circles in his head otherwise. Speaking of passionate and reckless, he should probably start teaching her the meaning of instinct afterwards, though that might be a more delicate matter to approach on. After all, it would seem that she had done something bad in the past out of instinct when she was younger.

"_Her father had. Traumatized events are more than just one."_

Shingen's words still troubled Masanobu greatly. He recalled how the leader suddenly appeared at Takeda's castle, which would be the most difficult thing to achieve and the most dangerous event to be allowed to an enemy or unknown general. However, the Takeda general actually secretly gave Shingen permission and even discussed topics together in private as in without a single retainer around them! It would've been suspicious if it were about the next battle plan, but it would've all made sense if it were about the young girl. Just how much had Ray revealed them two and how much was kept hidden from the retainers? If it was something the general wanted to keep secret though, he decidedly chose not to pry into the matter. He has his reasons, after all. Very rarely were they on a whim too. Still, word of her situation is only shared through a selected number of people, mostly retainers and generals. So, how did word of her problem get to the Date Clan? Their actions towards her, according to Ray's account, was as if they've already knew of her situation. It would seem as though he would need to do some more digging later, but, for now, he should remember to also ask one of the visitors for assistance should he have trouble explaining something for the child. As he patted the girl's head with a few words of encouragement, he noticed the bird lying on her lap. He then recalled Agni's reaction to the bird and thought carefully before speaking carefully, "I'll be leaving her in your care should anything happen. You've been with her for a pretty long time. If you ever need help, we shouldn't be too far."

With that, he got up and called Masakage back in to continue guarding her.

* * *

**YueTian: Hey, guys! I've finished Chapter Nine on time this time around! Yay! It took me a while because I didn't know how to best describe emotions in the character's personality and I didn't want to ruin the charateristics anymore than I already had. There was a lot going on in this chapter, so I want to try and get it sorted out as best as I could. As for the illness the Shingen in this anime/game had, it was never known well and the game shut down after the start of this year, 2020. They never even stated what he had, so I only assumed from the symptoms that it was consumption, AKA Tuberculosis. Of course, I also did my research and discovered that the real Shingen's death was unknown. Either from pnuemonia, or an assassin shot an arrow at him. Most people seem to assume that he passed from illness though? Well, interestingly, it seemed that his rival, Kenshin, also died from illness, cancer, but it was around some time after Shingen's death? It was intersting. Anyway, I mean to say, please don't take what I put happened to these characters' backstory all as facts! They're some assumptions. As for cure for TB, I only did a vague check online as well as Hypoactive Delirium. What happens and is discussed in this chapter isn't entirely accurate, especially about the cure to Ray's problem. I'm no expert or professional. Wendigo too. They're not true and I only took inspiration from a game that horrified me to nightmares as a young teen. Yes, I'm weak to jumpscares... T-T Anyway, thanks for reading Chapter nine and I hope everyone has a great Happy Chinese New Years this coming Saturday, especially to those who are celebrating! See ya on the next chapter! Hopefully, I get it out on time too...**

* * *

_**1/21/2019 3:15 AM**_


	10. Chapter 10: Clashing Troubles

Clashing Troubles

"Again!"

It's only been a week since they rather large group of children suddenly appeared. Everyday it was the same. Ray would go down to the forest with Masatoyo and Masakage to gather herbs. Masakage only comes to keep an eye on her though. Apparently, it was still a problem that she knew poison so well and was still allowed to go with Masatoyo to the forest to gather herbs. By now, the capital seemed to have gotten used to seeing her and some daring enough to greet her. On their way, they would usually come across Agni and Xue who would often greet them during their patrol with the other soldiers. According to Masakage, they were introduced into the army as foreign mercenaries hired to help exterminate the wendigo. With their status as foreigners, they were also exempted from any wars between the territories, obviously after a bit of talking with the small human lords who usually cooperated with them. Occasionally, the three would find the group train in the forest early in the morning.

* * *

"_You want to train in the forest?"_

_It was a request by Xue. One of his rare request. Over the course of a week, they learned that, unless necessary, Xue rarely makes requests of any sort, contradicting the occasions when he often gives out advices. _

"_We are grateful for the shelter you've provided for us, but, to fight, we must continue our training." Lark explained on behalf of Xue like a true assistant of a leader, "To train our abilities, we need a place to practice our magic in combat. We'll put up a barrier to isolate ourselves from being found. Xue used such an ability once back in that town."_

_It was peculiar and difficult to understand when she heard it. She had looked over to the others, but they only shook their head in confusion. Having only gotten other people to see that they were only foreign mercenaries that they've hired. They are able to walk into town under broad daylight. Shingen had a long conversation with, mostly, Lark before it would be decided that they would be heading to the forest. Since Ray head been in the castle for a long time, Nobuharu and Masatoyo said that it would be good for the child to head outside with them for a short trip. She didn't know how to continue her investigation anyway, so she assumed that it would be better than just sitting in the castle. Still, she didn't think that Shingen would leave the castle too. He rarely leaves the castle and often trains or work in the castle unless there would be a battle. According to Masanobu, he was joining them with his own goals in mind today, which made her curious for the sudden change. Yet, by the time they arrived upon an open clearing in the forest…_

"_You mean you guys don't even use bamboo swords?!" Masakage shouted upon bewilderment._

_Shingen raised a brow as Nobuharu frowned, "Usually, we use bamboo swords to practice swordsmanship and Katana to fight off enemies…"_

"_We know that practice comes with reason," Ahearn responded with a dry smile, "but we have different reasons for doing this. Our mistress's branch lacks the funding for mock weapons and our branch often has the tradition to either use a weapon or some items lying around to train. I don't look like it, but I've always trained using a large tree branch."_

"_A large tree branch and you were five?" Nobuharu raised a brow with interest._

"_Our teacher's branch has a motto though…" Agni sighed with a shrug, "The survival of the strongest."_

"_Are you saying…" Masatoyo frowned. _

"_Training with a weapon has its small perks," Agni frowned, "if you're willing and stupid enough to take the risk for it in our training, though. Still, if it were like, you could say that we're all morons there. When we became apprentices, we had to switch from twigs and poles to our actual weapons just to survive in that branch."_

_The group had wondered if they were making part of that up just to impress them, but…_

_Lily stood before the clearing and took a deep breath before putting both palms out before her. There was a gentle breeze around them startling Ray as she felt a strange feeling embrace her. Nervously, she reached out and grasped onto the closest thing next to her. _

"_Hm?"_

_She felt a pat on her head and looked up when she heard the chuckle, "I guess that startled you too." _

_Turns out that she had grabbed onto Nobuharu's sleeve. _

"_It would seem that they know what they're doing. So it's all right." Shingen said as he noticed her and the wind picking up, "Hm, so no mist this time."_

_It was as he said. Instead, flowers of pink bloomed from the trees around them and drifted around them like a storm of pink petals. It was long before Ray could no longer see her own feet as she watched the petals curiously. As soon as the only thing they could see was a wall of pin petals, the wind came to an abrupt stop bringing the petals to a halt and drift down onto what looked to be a water surface. To be more accurate, they were standing on a water surface under a large and old Sakura tree. With a sigh of relief, Lily took a deep breath and finally loosened the tension in her arms. She turned to them with a weary smile as her brother gave her the thumbs up. It would seem that she has completed it. _

"_Where in the world are we?" _

_As per usual, Masakage ended up being the first to speak up. _

"_We're in another alternative space." Xue responded. _

"_Since we don't want to catch attention," Lark explained, "this space is something like a small bubble within a larger one. Training with magic can be destructive and catch attention, especially Agni's, but, in here, the impact can't even be felt when compared to outside. Of course, others outside can't enter and, since my sister was the one who casted it, she would be able to sense if something had occurred outside of our little barrier. Of course, there's a time limit for at least three hours. These things do take away your energy a bit."_

"_I guess…" Masanobu raised a brow as he touched the water surface. The ripple left from where they stood and left to who knows where only to never return. _

* * *

And thus, the mock battle continued. Lark had just called Agni over to train with him as Lily took Ray and the children to play on the Sakura tree where they were busy picking up petals and making little pictures out of it. The sounds of metal clashing could be heard behind the tree as Masatoyo looked up the moment he felt the heat rose. He noticed a sudden flare erupt just behind one of the gigantic tree's large roots sticking up. He stood up next to Ray who was busy playing with the children silently.

"They did say it'd be kept under control but this is already rather big." He said with a frown.

"Ah." Masanobu responded just on the other side of the root with his head sticking just above it.

However, Ahearn frowned, "This isn't good…"

Just as they saw Agni suddenly charged forward at a defending Lark with a giant black blade that was both wider and longer than their katanas, a sudden wave of water washed over the two swordsmen before they could meet.

"Woah!"

The water soon returned to the calm surface leaving behind two fighters dripping wet and one of the glaring at Ahearn who had hopped to the other side of the root before Masatoyo. It was then that Xue suddenly appeared before his fighting buddy and said, "Step out."

Hearing this, steam arose from Agni's body as the heat around him quickly dried the water soaked over him and, with much clear reluctance, walked to the far distance from the battle field and tree before collapsing onto the water surface sending large waves rippling across into the distance. Masakage who was watching on top of the root said with narrowed eyes, "He actually listened."

Lily looked up from the children and strolled over softly, "That's because they're just that close."

"Huh?" Masatoyo raised a brow in bewilderment, "But I thought…"

"They're personalities are almost the complete opposite, but that doesn't mean they can't understand the other to that extent as well." Lily said with a frown as Xue unwrapped the cloth around his silver spear, "They've been working together for over five years. Others would just ask or go and train themselves instead of in pairs, like they did."

"Seriously?" Masakage grumbled in disbelief, "What does the teachers think?"

"They either choose to care and help or ignore." Ahearn responded hesitantly, "We're fortunate that our mistress does not think that and have good partners, but reluctant ones like them are common. It's not often that plots to overthrow the others occurs between pairs. If they could get exiled, they could study under their teachers by themselves, but Aife and I didn't want that and are aware of the situation, and Lily's buddy is one of her siblings. So, we got along fairly well and were one of the few quieter pair."

"After all," Lily responded solemnly, "it wasn't our choice to do this and many in similar positions often choose to remain ignorant and try to live normally. In turn, they neglect their territories and those places become stricken with sufferings. By our code, we can't do such a thing to our own territories so some choose to ignore others and focus solely on their territory. Those sly enough to want to throw away all that responsibilities would put together a mask for us to see every time we visit just not to be found. Because they don't get learn such important lessons and morals from their parents or guardians, they don't realize what they did was wrong till they get it or they don't at all."

"Then, they get disciples of their own and the cycle repeats." Ahearn finished.

Masanobu glances over to Ahearn with furrowed brow before he glanced back to the battle just as Lark had barely dodged all of Xue's swift strikes. He said, "But, you and Aife still had your guardians around and even were brought to the social events when you were small."

"Aife and I were born in one of the few families that are to take our positions when we grow older." Ahearn answered, "Our families often bore those who are born to take those positions. However, we don't step into it until our ancestors passed, no matter the age or health. For that reason we're often taught what to expect before the day comes. It's not rare that those no older than five gets promoted to apprentices or thrown into the position without any knowledge. It was due to that problem that our mistress tries her best to take as many of those under such difficulties under her wing and train them along us. You could say that, if possible, she have more than just two apprentices under her."

"One of my elder siblings have always guided Xue and Agni." Lily explained while Xue was busy guarding against one of her brother's fire balls, "Because our parents hid us at a young age till their last breath, they were never found and learned much from our parents just as what Ahearn and Aife would learn. However…"

Ahearn sighed as he finally felt safe enough to sit on top of the root again, "Xue and Agni are a different case. Not only do they have similar backgrounds as us, but their ancestors have always been fighting buddies for the longest time and have the reputation of not being on good relations for centuries."

"So, it's on the matter of blood, huh?" Masakage grumbled, "Talk about centuries of bad luck."

"Masakage, that was rude." Masanobu scolded the boy firmly.

"B-but-..." He scowled and turned his head away reluctantly.

As usual, the teen doesn't really like to act the way he feels. Ray noticed that not long after staying with them during the months together. Shingen was a leader. Masanobu and Masatoyo was the assistants. While Nobuharu was like those coaches she'd see from those highschools in Japan occasionally. Masakage was… like the little kid too stubborn and illogical to tell what they think aloud or feel aloud. He's the one Ray didn't understand the most. At first, she thought she'd understood him, but later learn that she actually didn't because he does this often. Thus, she often goes to find Masatoyo or Masanobu to see if it was something serious or not. The majority of the time, she finds that they were calm and worried little telling her that he was only learning alongside her. Though, she didn't understand too well what she was suppose to learn alongside him. Looking up at the large root Masakage sitting on she realized that not only was she not tall enough to see the battle, but she was also shorter than both Masakage and Lily who were the shortest young adults amongst them. If anything, she was only taller than children! Just the thought of that annoyed her slightly. Suddenly, there was a burst of energy as wind burst from the other side of the root

"Huh…" Masakage raised a brow, "You know, the way you guys fight…"

"Shingen-sama." Masanobu spoke up.

However, Shingen only watched quietly much like Nobuharu is. As Lark countered with a hard strike to the base of Xue's spear, Xue, on the other hand, quickly jumped back a couple of meters away. Lark swiftly closed the distance and tried to strike him on the head, but Xue easily pushed it aside with a swing of his silver spear and slipped the younger apprentice off his feet before he gently set the blunt end of his spear on the ground like a staff.

"Having no will is the same as having no strength." Xue said, "Go train on your own and don't slack off."

"R-Right." Lark got up after wiping the water and sweat away from his face. They watched as Lark walked away from the tree and began practicing his swings. Each strike down sliced the water without his blade even touching the surface of it much to their confusion.

"What was that about?" Masakage questioned curiously.

Lily didn't respond and neither did Ahearn. Aife, as usual, was busy playing with Alle with the branches and petals. Ray, however, was getting more and more curious and wanted to see for herself as she tried to climb up the root. Masatoyo was the first to see this and struggled back a chuckle as he patted her head, "There was no magic, if that's what you were curious about, Ray. Also, try not to stick your head out like that, the impact might throw you off if you aren't prepared for it."

"Oh, she's curious now?" Masakage spoke up and smirked, "Finally learning that being small isn't always best, huh?"

Ray felt strange when she heard that but spoke up, "I want to see though…"

"Hm?"

Masanobu looked to her with a raised brow. It was unusual for Ray to want something this trivial of a request than her previous ones for the purpose of study. Thinking this, he wondered if it was best to lecture her or let her do what she want. She was sixteen but with the thinking of a serious five year old trying to weave their way through society and the knowledge of a scholar in general studies as harsh as it sounds. She was talented but often naive. Still, would it be best to give in or tell her that she couldn't for her own safety.

"I'll watch over her then." Masakage spoke up as he gestured her to take a seat next to him.

Just the actual gesture of Masakage deciding to volunteer and help her over this surprised Masatoyo! But, Masanobu could see the blush on the young man's cheeks and only shrugged with a smile before turning away to the more curious matter on hand. As Ray got onto the root and watched Xue call out to Ahearn to come over for training, Nobuharu spoke up with great interest, "How do you plan to train like this?"

Lily looked to the samurai in confusion as Shingen clarified whilst watching Ahearn struck out his broadsword wildly, "We've noticed this already. You're all from different cultures? Your combat styles differ greatly."

"We are from different lands in our world." Lily responded, "Just as Ray is from a different country called America in her world, all of us are from different countries with different cultures. Some raised in different settings than our origin. As for training, the best we can do is give ourselves advices. Agni and Xue are the only one capable of instructing and teaching us combat. Amongst the apprentices, they're the most knowledgeable and skilled in combat of numerous cultures. So, we can only rely on them and ourselves. It is the same for most teachers who are willing to teach their apprentice. Either you give advices, continue their training, or start from scratch with a new style. Amongst those in all the branches, only their teacher is the best in magic. Ahearn's and Aife's teacher is skilled in martial arts. My teacher is the best swordsman. Their knowledge in combat is vast so they're the most idea instructors you would want in this current situation. My brother and I knew our teacher before we became apprentices, thus we have the early connection for the chance to be his apprentices. Those pairs got chosen for other reasons."

"Pardon me," Masanobu called out to her, "But your teacher was…"

"He was a samurai." Lily responded.

"Huh?!" Masakage looked to her in bewilderment, "But, your brother-..."

She nodded, "He was trained by our elder siblings before becoming an apprentice. Our teacher knows much about his style of combat and taught him accordingly."

"That sounds like a god of war or something…" Masakage stammered in bewilderment.

Masanobu frowned, "Masakage-..."

"He already earned that title a few years back during his debut mock battle." Lily responded much to their bewilderment.

"Debut?" Ray questioned in confusion.

"A debut is when you show yourself to society either through appearance or performance." Masanobu explained, "The purpose is mainly to give a first impression to the society you're entering in. I'm going to assume that this debut mock battle is a bock battle into entering the your society."

"You could say that…" Lily responded hesitantly.

Before either could clarify, Nobuharu nodded solemnly, "If we were to give you wooden katanas, your friends would have no trouble in breaking them the minute you swing them-"

As he said this, Ray suddenly saw Xue easily batted Aife down with the blunt end of his spear struck on her thigh as she collapsed onto the ground. Shocked, Masakage called out, "Ai-!"

Instead, she jumped to her feet and hopped back a couple of meters which seemed unlikely due to her small physique and age. She rushed at him again as he tries to swing his spear at her, but vines suddenly appeared and coiled itself around his spear. Taking this chance, Aife pulled out her sheathed dagger from out of nowhere and used his spear as leverage before tackling him in the face! Rather than taking the attack head on, he quickly released his weapon and grabbed a hold of her hand with the dagger and spun her around in midair as she cried out in surprise before locking her under his arm like a bag of rice. Seeing this, Lily took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. Ray watched curiously as per usual without the same alarm that they had, though she was definitely caught by surprise by Aife's surprise attack.

"Too slow. Read your opponents every move. Go reflect on this." Xue stated sending her back to the tree. Seeing this, Lily brough Allegra with her to look over the wound on her leg. Xue didn't stop them as they did so.

"Xue!" Agni walked over to him as he grumbled, "It's my turn!"

Xue glanced over to his partner for a couple minutes as the young man walked over with his large blade against his shoulders. Hearing this, the atmosphere suddenly turned uneasy as both Lily and Lark stopped what they were doing and turned to the combat pair. Ahearn had already rushed over and carried Aife on his back as the and Allegra retreated behind the root. Lark returned to the group as well. Seeing this, it was simple to see that this could get out of hand. Alle had, at some point, appeared before Ray and asked to be carried up as well only for Lark to pull Alle back saying how she could hurt herself.

"If they fight now…" Masakage grumbled.

"Don't." Shingen responded firmly, "Do not intervene. Take Ray and hide behind the tree-"

"Big Brother Agni. Big Brother Xue." Lily began partially hesitantly and begging as she suddenly walked up to them, "It's fine if you wish to fight, but please remember that since I'm the one maintaining the space and over two hours have passed. I deeply apologize for my lack of power at this moment, but please take into account that, if you battle here without restraint, I won't be able to keep the space stable. Ahearn is worn down and his partner has yet to be treated. None is capable of helping me stabilize the barrier."

If Xue hadn't paid any attention to her, Agni would have definitely forsaken her plea to his drive for combat. Thus, Agni grumbled reluctantly before he sighed and sheathed his large blade before he sighed, "Fine…"

He turned Lark and hollered, "Junior! Get back here! No slacking off again!"

"R-Right!" Lark hurried back to his position and began swinging his sword only for the water to splash everywhere around him.

"Focus." Xue stated firmly. It wasn't till Lark was able to retain his attack of thinly cutting into the water again that Xue looked back to Lily.

"Right." Lily nodded and gave an unusual bow with two hands clasped before her with a wide smile, "I'll get right to treating Aife. Thank you for listening to my plea, brothers!"

As Lily returned, Ahearn was called back up again.

"Um, what just happened?" Masatoyo questioned in confusion.

"They're siblings all of a sudden?" Masakage asked in bewilderment.

"No." Aife responded as she hid behind Masanobu's shadow on the ground whilst hugging her uninjured leg, "We… don't really like to train under them. They can be really scary but they'd get scarier if they hear that. So, when something scary happens, Big Sister Lily would help cover for us because our mistress is her elder sister, who is close to their teacher too. Because of that, our mistresses are often thought to have a close relationship similar to that of sworn siblings. Due to that bond, all six of us are close. S-So, we'd often refer to each other as siblings as well."

"That close?" Masakage questioned with a raised brow.

"Please excuse what he said." Masanobu said referring to Masakage.

Nobuharu laughed, "So far, Masakage has been the only one we've trained. He's had no other besides him."

"Is it all that important?" the young teenager growled as he turned his head away.

Ray watched Lily took out a small parcel before the woman looked up to her with a smile, "Do you want to help?"

Ray thought curiously for a bit before she nodded and slowly hopped off the root and onto the floor of petals. Masakage watched curiously as Lily went onto teach the other girl about the ointment that was in the parcel. It suddenly started to fog as Shingen looked back up and saw a few shards of ice shatter around them as Xue's spear had already pierced into the water before Agni and froze the surface with shards of ice that reached up to the man's knees! They couldn't see Agni's expression as he swung his blade through the air. A sudden blast of heat wave nearly sent Ray flying when Lily grabbed a strong hold on her arm keeping her in place. Ray looked up and saw Agni's swing had sent the spear flying high in the sky only for it to be caught in Xue's approaching hand as the man's body had charged forward. Seeing this, Agni swung his blade down onto the ground startling Ray as the water surface trembled from the force. It was enough to shatter the ice and force the lancer to jump back in defense.

"What the hell?!" Masakage shouted as he had fallen off the root from the wave of the force.

"C-Calm down…" Lily muttered to herself under her breath as her eyes trained on the two agitatedly.

"I'll help!" Ahearn called out and quickly rushed forward, "You should stay close to the tree!"

Startled, Ray looked to Lily who was too busy clenching her chest with one hand and lowered her head as she muttered somethings under her breath. With a frown, Shingen called out, "Ray!"

Masakage hopped off the root as he and Masatoyo rushed out and brought Ray back close to them just as she looked up and saw Ahearn jump out before them and touched the water with both hands. Suddenly, large mangroove trees sprouted from the water surface encasing them from the outside.

Masakage shouted in bewilderment, "Wh-What are these?! Hey, you-!"

They turned to Aife who seemed paler than usual.

"O-Oops…" She whispered as she only grew paler, "S-Sorr-!"

Aife's arm gave way as Shingen quickly caught her in the nick of time.

"Woah." Shingen sighed as he got up and looked to the unconscious girl in his arm, "Just what did she do?"

"Um! Is everyone okay in there?!"

"Ahearn?!" Masakage looked up in bewilderment, "What's up with these trees?! They're not dangerous, right?"

"We're fine." Masanobu called out, "Can you call down this space you put up?"

"Not right away." Ahearn responded hurriedly, "Because these trees suddenly grew out from Aife's and Lily's magic so suddenly, you could get lost in space if she puts it down. Just hold on for a bit so she can stabilize it. Also, these are just Mangroove trees that are native to areas overruned by water. Don't worry, they won't cause harm… A-As long as Aife isn't hurt."

Hearing that, the men nearly froze as Masakage shouted in bewilderment, "S-She already fainted!"

"If nobody hurts her, then it's fine!" Ahearn clarified, "Her magic is nature, like greeneries, but she lacks control and sometimes makes blunders like today. We deeply apologize for that. Lark and I will try to bring the trees down, so you should stay awa-"

"That won't do!" Lark responded quickly, "What if the trees fall on them instead?"

"Brother, come over here first..." Lily's voice called out in a strange tone. Strange as in frighteningly strange.

After a short while, Lark said, "Okay. We'll be cutting down the trees, so please stay away from them!"

"Hm, Agni would be perfect for the job…" Nobuharu muttered with a nod.

"About that…" Lark muttered nervously, "The last attack from the two knocked each of them out."

"That's why I told you to jump in and stop them if this ever happened!" Ahearn groaned in despair.

"Shut. Up." Lily's blunt voice cut into their conversation with words they never thought would come from her lips.

"Um…"

Everyone was stunned, even Ray. She had never heard the girl use that kind of tone or words before.

"L-Let's get this over with quickly before we get turned inside out." Lark hurriedly spoke as there was a few vines that quickly wrapped around the largest mangroove tree.

There was a sudden sound on the other side as Ahearn shouted, "Try again, brother!"

"I know!" the man grumbled, "Hurry and wake up those two!"

"R-Right!"

As Lark gave another go at the tree, the man grumbled, "This is why I said to do this separately..."

Another hit could be heard on the other side as the tree began to tilt back and collapse leaving behind a large entrance for them to slip through.

"Is everyone okay?" Ahearn called out to them and hopped into the circle of trees.

"Y-Yeah…" Masakage stammered nervously before breathing a sigh to bring himself back to his senses and grumbled, "You guys are way too strong in brute strength."

"Um…" Ahearn wore a dry smile, "Th-Thanks?"

"Ahearn." Shingen called the boy over.

"Oh right!"

"That wasn't a compliment…" Masakage grumbled as he and Ray watched Ahearn giving his buddy a piggyback. When they got out, they found the two cause of the previous supposed explosion still out of commision and knocked out cold. One of them almost literally. Lily on the other hand had a large tome in her hand and a circle of lighter under her. The girl was entirely focused on something with eyes closed and an empty palm stretched out. She ten realized that the waters was still shaking violently from the eruption and hadn't calmed despite the time lapse. Yet, her gaze was focused on something else more interesting. Curious, Ray crouched before the half frozen Agni and poked at his cheek with a stick when Masatoyo took it from her with a wry smile, "Let's not do that. It could hurt him."

"Ah." Masanobu chuckled, "We can talk about punishment later."

"Punishment?" Ray thought aloud curiously.

Masanobu nodded, "Like the time you were grounded for being reckless. Today, they were reckless and nearly put themselves and their own friends and comrades in harm."

"Then, they'll be grounded?" Ray said upon conclusion.

"Since we'll need their help in bringing down the Wendigo, no." Shingen responded with a sigh, "We can't just randomly gave a punishment without consideration here. That would make me look like a tyrant. I don't plan to do unfair things against them either. After all, nobody got hurt and everyone is still in one piece. It was also an accident, so their punishment will be light."

"Will it hurt too?" Ray responded hesitantly in confusion.

"Nah." Shingen chuckled and patted her head, "If we did that, they won't be able to fight properly either. Remember, Ray, their our comrades. We shouldn't hurt comrades who wants to help us."

Ray nodded though the meaning was still a little lost on her. It was then that Lily had finished what she was doing with the water calm and the light vanished. She closed her book and turned to Ray with a tired smile, "When you hurt someone who hurts you, you can be seen as someone who's no different from that someone. In some cases, it can be like that. In others, pain is different and is given differently from expected punishment. That was what our sisters once told me and Lark."

"Oh." Ray nodded her head with a slowly understanding mind before a thought came to her. Back then, she had always thought of protecting those that was hers. But, it seemed that the majority was all for herself. Though Zack was there with her, she wondered had there ever been a time where she had given a punishment before?

Masanobu noticed that the child was lost in thought and wondered how he should better explain this to her. It was clear that though she was given some explanations, he was not prepared to explain feelings of guilt and resentment, though she clearly understood the feeling of guilt if she was willing to let a psycho-killer kill her just so she could be forgiven and accepted. Still, she may have gone a little too far and, now, he wonders if it would be best to let the girl choose to be killed by her first friend she has a proper friendly relationship with. If it could be called proper…

In the end, Lily had brought down the space and, as promised, the calm surrounding of trees and the smell of earth invaded their senses. The ground was nothing but flat soil and dirt. It was as if all that happened were nothing but a dream, but the fact that Agni and Xue were both unconscious didn't erase what had occurred. With a hum, Shingen turned to Lark, "Lark, does this usually happen? If so, what did their teacher used to do?"

Ray turned to Lark curiously thinking of that higher being they refer to as a goddess of death and their teacher.

"She sends them to clean the training grounds before." Lark responded with a frown, "On multiple occasions, she seals their magic, confiscates their weapons, and makes them run laps around the entire training grounds for who knows how long."

"Doesn't that sound like torture?" Masakage flinched as he heard this.

"These guys aren't exactly…" Lark grimaced, "normal, per se. They're more abnormally strong physically. Trust me, their teacher had changed their regime multiple times to fit their sense of difficulty."

"Regular training doesn't work on them." Nobuharu concluded, "It would be difficult to train them with Masakage."

"You're joking, right…?" Masakage groaned as he defeatedly waved a hand, "They have more than just magic. Even their strength can send me flying."

Masanobu chuckled nervously, "I'll have to agree with Masakage. We can not hope to compete, much less train, with them."

Nobuharu frowned, "Hm… Actually, Lark, right? Your fighting style is similar to that of a samurai. Did your teacher taught you as a samurai?"

With a frown, Lark nodded and gave a curt bow, "Yes, sir. My teacher and siblings taught me sword skills of samurais, but I'm afraid that there aren't much knowledge of such combat left in our world. Only our sister still retains the majority of the remaining skills but is unable to teach me. Our teacher now teaches what remains from his studies. I, myself is still fairly new and only started the past four years or so."

"Interesting…" Shingen nodded and turned to Nobuharu, "We should probably teach him, then."

"What?!" Masakage's eyes shot wide in bewilderment.

"Is that all right?" Lark's eyes widen in surprise, "I mean to say, I can withhold my magic and powers if we're just training swordsmanship, but you are in the middle of a war with the other territories, correct?"

Shingen shrugged, "It'll be fine. For now, we're mostly preoccupied with these new monsters and our town losing color. As for our battles, we've agreed that you would have no part in this. Though, we'll have to discuss this further if your friends are recruited by them."

"That possibility is also likely. Without a doubt, we'll be having that conversation soon." Lark frowned, "The majority of us are still too young to make proper decisions for ourselves. For now, we've found a few willing to follow, but the majority are too hesitant for multiple reasons."

"Then, should we wait for Xue to wake up?" Masatoyo questioned as he watched Nobuharu help a struggling Ahearn carry the two.

Lark thought for a bit before shaking his head, "I'll speak with him after he wakes."

"Right. Hm, about that…" Shingen thought for a bit.

"How about we take away their meals for the day?" Masatoyo brought up.

"We won't be starving them to death, if it's just for the rest of the day, anyway." Masanobu said.

Lark nodded, "That should be all right. Even if we do have to eat, one meal a day won't starve us depending on the portion size and our exercise. Agni is not one to follow punishment without their teacher staring down on them, but Xue and Ahearn should be enough to keep him from complaining. As long as Xue is with him."

"Then, it's decided." Shingen nodded with a smile before it flipped upside down, "As for this other space, keep it in moderation. Instead of training with Agni and Xue together, keep them apart unless you can take the amount of damage they can cause the space. I don't want to experience what would happen if the worst occurs."

"Understood." Lark gave a curt bow, "I'll let Xue and Agni know after they awaken."

Shingen nodded, "Then, you'll be willing to train with us with swordsmanship? Of course, it is as you said. There can be no magic or powers used. We're solely focusing on swordsmanship here."

"If that's no trouble, then I accept." Lark responded firmly making Shingen raise a brow before returning the response with a small smile and a curt nod.

* * *

With Masakage leaving to help Lark, Ray questioned curiously, "Is Lark the leader of their group? He talked a lot..."

"I don't believe so…" Masatoyo muttered curiously.

"But, he does remind me of someone else." Shingen chuckled.

Masanobu nodded, "We don't talk often about him anymore since he left the army."

Ray thought for a bit then responded, "The Sanada army?"

Masanobu patted her head, "Sort of. This would be interesting though. It's been a while since Masakage had a training partner aside from Nobuharu."

Nobuharu nodded and saw curiously, "The kid said that our for of combat is slowly disappearing? I wonder how different this 'diminished' form of combat is from ours."

"But, why would it diminish?" Masatoyo questioned curiously.

"Shingen-sama." Masanobu turned to the general with a frown, "Could it be…"

Shingen didn't turn to Masanobu as he stated, "We will ask him that later. It's better to hear it from them. Moreover, the problems of other worlds should not be our concern. If we choose to intervene on their territory, the conflicts will become endless. Unless they will intervene on our path, we will not poke our noses in their business."

To Ray, it was an unusual way for the general to put it, but it wasn't like Ray had often attended the war meetings they often held. Because she was an outsider like Lark and the others, she had no place to be in the meetings.

* * *

A month had nearly gone by. Ray thought that she would be busy trying find a clue to this mystery now that the ravine had become too dangerous, but everyday Allegra and the other children would find her since they live in the same wing. Still, every time that happened, the three would suddenly disappear. According to Lily, she said that it was the antics of the children and apologized. She seemed worried over it, though Ray didn't understand for what reason. So, Ray decided to keep it a secret from the commanders for them. Though, she tried to ask them about the mask at one point, she noticed that something always interrupts them. At one point, it started to annoy her a lot. Still, that wasn't the only thing on her mind.

"Ray?"

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder as she looked up and saw that it was Masatoyo! That day, they were in the forest around the capital to gather some herbs for the general's vitamins. The commander wore a small smile, "Is everything all right, Ray? You seem to be in deep thought again."

She thought for a bit before she nodded, "I was thinking about those monsters again…"

"Those 'wendigo'?" Masatoyo said with a raised brow.

She nodded, "That name sounds familiar…"

"You've heard of it?" Masatoyo asked.

Ray nodded, "Once before when I was little… But I don't remember…'

Taken aback, Masatoyo didn't know what to say. He knew that she was basically an orphan, but it was only a couple of weeks before that he learned of one of the nature of her parents. To be honest, he was a little hesitant to ask of her connection to her parents too. It's definitely not something you can ask a little girl in such a state. It was also likely that her state of mind also made it difficult for her to mentally develop well enough to absorb what was going on around her. Of course, they hadn't told Masakage yet since he was guarding Ray that day, but it'd be best for him to watch over her for now. He patted her head and smiled, "It's all right. Don't push yourself too much."

She nodded quietly.

It was then that they noticed a sudden chill as Masatoyo raised a brow, "How did it suddenly get so cold? It's not even winter yet…"

Curious, Ray looked to him and grabbed a hold on his sleeve, "Maybe it's Xue?"

Masatoyo raised a brow, "Out of everyone, would Xue actually break the promise?"

It took a while, but Ray soon learned much of the other worlders. Ahearn and Aife were fighting buddies. Ahearn was a well-informed boy and eager for more knowledge as seen when interacting with Masatoyo over herbs, but is often hesitant and fearful of the so-called elder brother Agni. Aife, his buddy, was a fairly timid girl with the most unique appearance. Despite her shy nature, she was rather nimble on her feet. A skill that worries most of the commanders for unknown reasons. She was a quiet girl, but was willing to explain if needed. Sometimes she shied away from Ray, while other times she clung to Ray as if she was her last line of defense. Allegra was a bright child and always ran around with a smile on her face as she struggled to hug the raven that always stuck close to Ray's side due to the child's terrifying eagerness to play. Yet, as it turned out, the child was also rather skilled in herbs despite her young age. Not just that, she was an amazing musician capable of playing a flute Shingen had given her once when she was found pestering him to play with her. Of course, Lily was pale as a ghost when she saw her sister doing so and apologized profusely for her lack of attention. Since then, she's being playing the flute non-stop. Following along, Lily had finally changed out of her old clothing saying that it was suppose to distract the pursuers so she could lead them away from the apprentices during the escape before her brother came to save her. Now, she was in a pretty blue kimono with white flowers, a design Xue purposely chose for her as his apology for the incident. Apparently, Lily was a young magician learning both magic and healing abilities. However, she was capable of being herbalist among their group with her wide knowledge in herbs. The girl was not only smart but also diligent and humble… or she really lacks the confidence to believe so. Regardless, she and her twin proved to be an amazing pair. On the other hand, Agni and Xue were always on a tension. Always ignoring the other despite the ending of their detention. Ray had talked to Xue a few times. He doesn't speak much, but he does respond on occasions. He hardly changes expressions and always meditates whenever she finds him. Despite that, he often interacts with her and occasionally hands her books. On the other hand, Agni was always loud. Annoying, but not completely unbearable, at least when Xue was around to shut him up. He often snaps at the raven that, in turn, pecks at him. As for Ray, he hardly associates with her.

"Oh, look over here, Ray!" Masatoyo called her over.

Upon approaching the spot, Masatoyo gestured. She looked closer and saw that it as a nightshade.

"These were at that small waterfall too…" Ray muttered quietly.

"You mean the one from a month ago?"

She nodded.

"So, you know what it is?"

She nodded again, "Nightshade... They're really poisonous."

"So, you know." Masatoyo hummed, "Make sure that you don't pick these, then."

"Okay…"

From afar, Lily called out, "Masatoyo? Ray? What's the matter?"

Upon her approach, Masatoyo wore a small smile, "Oh, it's nothing too big. Nightshades have been growing around more often recently. So, I'm just warning Ray not to pick them."

"Nightshades?" Lily raised a brow, "But, they shouldn't have been growing in these parts, right?"

Masatoyo nodded, "Normally not. Yet, they seemed to have slipped into the forest."

As he gestured to the nightshade Lily had caught her eyes on, the girl began reaching down and touching the soil. The soil was hard and dry, so much that it crumbled in her hands like sand. She frowned as she took a closer look at the flower. Finally, she frowned, "Why haven't I noticed this before? How long have this been going on?"

"According to what I've gathered, most likely around the last month or so." Masatoyo responded, "We've already warned the civilians not to harvest or touch these plants."

"They've never bloomed here before in the past, right?"

Masatoyo shook his head and raised a brow, "Is something the matter?"

"These plants aren't in the right environment." Lily said with a frown, "I can feel magic coming off from this which means it isn't a natural growth. But, aside from me, no one else should be able to do this. Yet, the soil is hard and dry indicating that nobody purposely planted them here. Unless, they were taken care for regularly, there should be no chance that they'd be growing in these parts of the territory. Have these number be growing or dwindling? And, how far have they've spread to reach the capital? There are so many questions..."

"Nightshades, huh?"

Ray looked up and saw Agni walk over to them with a scowl on his face. After the detention, Agni has been allowed to leave the castle on occasion but usually not alone. Ray raised a brow and looked around, but he really did come alone?

"There isn't always someone around me, okay?" Agni grumbled with a sigh.

Masatoyo patted her head and nodded, "Forgive her for that. She was simply curious. Speaking of nightshades, do you have an opinion on this?"

Agni groaned, "Look! I'm not someone with nature spirit, okay? How would I know anything that has to do with magic imbued flowers?"

"Oh…"

"However…" Agni sighed as if giving in to something, "Our teacher… She was a myth fanatic and loved things with meaning, which sort of makes sense since she was also some sort of fortune teller. She always loved to tell us how to watch out for weird stuff."

"Nightshade's meaning…" Ray nodded quietly, "Deception, danger, and death…"

"So, you've heard of it too?" Agni grumbled, "Out of everything, she always told us to watch out for these types of things. I'm not a believer, but I hate it when she always is right about them."

"So, does that mean you are a believer now?" Ray questioned with a raised brow.

"As if!" Agni quickly turned his head away, "Quit reading between the lines! Geez…"

With that, he quickly turned around and stomped away. Ray frowned, "Ah, he's mad again…"

Lily smiled, "No. He's not mad at any of us. I promise. Now..."

Lily thought for a bit as Masatoyo called out to her, "Lily? Is something the matter?"

After some thoughts, Lily finally spoke, "Their teacher… isn't just some fortune teller. It's said that not only is she able to take care of souls, but also capable of telling the future. Perhaps..."

She thought long and hard before she shook her head, "No matter how much I think about it, for what reason would she aid us unless it was a message to her apprentices?"

Ray raised a brow, "Who else would she message?"

"Those who follow under her, I think, and possibly Aife's and my teachers." Lily responded with a frown as she added, "But, she doesn't interact much and often stays to herself, much less message anyone. However, a few apprentices have witnessed her interact and sent messages to Agni and Xue. Still, she doesn't really talk too much… Well, we just never heard her talk before."

"What do you mean you never heard her talk before?" Ray tilted her head in confusion.

Lily shook her head, "Aside from the other leaders, she has telepathic abilities and hardly ever uses her voice. The last time it was recorded where she used her voice was the day she took in Agni and Xue. Other than then, her voice was only heard by the other leaders, including our teacher."

"The magic of your world is certainly mind blowing…" Masatoyo wore a dry smile.

Lily nodded with a sigh, "The more profound the magic is the more complex the world is. Here we are bringing that knowledge to another world. If our teacher knew of this, he would've punished us harshly."

"Then…"

She shook her head with a small smile, "I believe they'll understand during this event. Our teacher isn't very narrow minded though he doesn't like to seek others too often."

Ray looked to Lily as she noticed the unusual look in her eyes. She had seen it a couple times before, though rarely. Mostly around the final moments of those "angels" during the game.

"You seem to connect well with your teacher?" Masatoyo questioned with a small awkward smile.

Lily nodded with a wider smile, "He's not very fond of my elder sisters, but he is close friends with my brothers. He just doesn't like to show it, especially now in his current position. Due to their connection, he's practically like a cousin, or even an older brother, to me. Because he's so knowledgeable, Lark and I look up to him."

"I see." Masatoyo said with a nod of understanding, "Then, did he claimed you two as well, just as Agni's and Xue's teacher had?"

There was a moment of silence which caught Ray's attention. Lily was acting a little strange before she shook her head, "Not during the process. He claimed us the moment we were discovered…"

Ray couldn't figure out the correct connection towards the girl's expression, but she began to assume from the voice that she sounded… troubled?

"Ah, I apologize if I hit a hard topic!" Masatoyo said nervously.

Yet, Lily calmly shook her head with a dry smile, "It's fine. I was just feeling a bit nostalgic. Anyway, regarding the nightshade, I'd like to investigate this a little more with Brother Xue, if that's all right?"

"I'd ask Shingen-sama on your behalf, but, if Xue is included as well, you an Xue should ask him that, instead, and bring someone with you." Masatoyo suggested.

"But, isn't Lily familiar with the forest in these areas?" Ray asked Masatoyo in confusion, "Is it trust?"

Masatoyo had a slight look of surprise before he wore back his smile that was a little more… troubling and continued, "No. Perhaps not amongst the commanders, but Lily and her friends are fairly new to the army. Other soldiers may hold their suspicions no matter what we say. Because we're all different and have values, not everyone will be able to fully trust new people as easily as we can, no matter what we tell them. The best way to do so is to spend more time with them in this case or learn more about them. Hm…"

He hummed for a while as if rather wearily as he struggled to continue, "What I mean to say is, if we send someone with her an Xue, not only would it dispel most of those feeling, but it would also protect them from being found and attacked by enemy soldiers. We're still at war, after all, and Lily's friends aren't a part of this conflict. It'd be bad if you also got pulled into the battles anymore than now."

"I see…" Ray slowly nodded as she absorbed the information.

"Then, I'll talk to Xue and ask Shingen for permission." Lily responded with a smile, "Thank you for your advice."

"It's fine." Masatoyo smiled, "We have you and your friends to appreciate having Shingen-sama take his… vitamins pills."

"Haha. Anytime!" Lily wore a bright smile.

"Shingen doesn't like medicine?" Ray looked to Masatoyo curiously.

Masatoyo chuckled, "Let's just say there are many things that people wouldn't like."

Ray nodded, "There are things Zack and I don't like either…"

Masatoo smiled, "That's right. We don't know what they are, but you don't have to tell anyone if you don't want to, right?"

She nodded again before pulling herself into her own thoughts.

"She's gotten much better…" Lily noted quietly to Masatoyo as they began their walk back to the castle.

As his ears twitched from her words, Masatoyo nodded with a bright smile, "Yes. She still acts lethargic, but her words are connecting much better than before and she's becoming more aware of her surroundings. Shingen-sama is also happy to see this."

Lily smiled, "Yes. It's good news."

She watched Ray's back as the smile became a firm line, "But, let's not put our guard down yet. Like illness that attacks the body, Ray may struggle in the future again. It'll probably be a bit more ups and down sporadically. If I were more knowledgeable in the field, I'd be of more help. I apologize."

"No. You helped us plenty already. Just what you've shown us is already impressive and hearing your thoughts on this from your perspective is reassuring to everyone." Masatoyo refuted with a smile.

Hearing this, Lily gave a small chuckle nervously before they entered the town.

* * *

**_2/1/2020 4:06 AM_**


End file.
